Museo degli strumenti per il calcolo
University of Pisa museum on the history of computing, from nineteenth-century calculating machines to large computers, with the Calcolatrice Elettronica Pisana.
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About the museum
The idea for the museum arose in 1989, with the creation of a centre for the conservation and study of scientific instruments linked to the physics laboratory of the University of Pisa. In 1993 the Ministry of University and Scientific Research supported the creation of a museum on the history of computing and set up a national commission to design it. The venue opened in 2000.
The museum is part of the Sistema Museale di Ateneo of the University of Pisa and is run together with the Fondazione Galileo Galilei. It is in the centre of Pisa, in the area of the former slaughterhouses where the Cittadella Galileiana stands.
The collection of calculating instruments, unique in Italy, ranges from nineteenth-century arithmometers to the large computers of the 1950s to 1990s. At the heart of the route is the Calcolatrice Elettronica Pisana (CEP, 1961), around which the first Italian school of computer science arose. Also on show are replicas of the adder and simulators of the Macchina Ridotta (1957), considered the first computer designed and built in Italy, in Pisa. The large machines include the Olivetti Elea 6001, the Cray X-MP, the Cray Y-MP2E, the Cray T90 and the nCUBE 2. The physics and astronomy instruments, such as the Fondo Pacinotti, are no longer part of this museum.
Highlights
- Calcolatrice Elettronica Pisana (CEP, 1961)
- Simulators of the Macchina Ridotta (1957), the first computer designed in Italy
- Large computers: Olivetti Elea 6001, Cray X-MP, Cray Y-MP2E, Cray T90, nCUBE 2
- Arithmometers and calculating machines of the 19th century
- Guided tours and activities for schools
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione di strumenti per il calcolo – From nineteenth-century arithmometers to large computers, including the CEP and the Macchina Ridotta.
- Founded
- 2000
- Operated by
- Università di Pisa – Sistema Museale di Ateneo, con la Fondazione Galileo Galilei
- Visitors per year
- approx. 4,925 (2025)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2.50 |
|---|
Amount taken from a 2024 listing; please check it before your visit.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Educational activities are available for schools.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The museum offers guided tours and educational activities for schools. |
