Museo dei campionissimi
Museum in Novi Ligure dedicated to the history of cycling and to the campionissimi (great champions) Girardengo and Coppi, with the civic art collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo dei Campionissimi tells the story of the link between Novi Ligure and the bicycle, first as a means of transport and then as a competitive tool. The journalist Carlo Bergoglio, known as Carlin, editor of “Guerin Sportivo” and later of “Tuttosport”, called the town the “university of cycling”: no other town in the world has produced or welcomed so many protagonists of this sport. In 1893 the first campionissimo, Costante Girardengo, was born in Novi, along with champions such as Luigi Giacobbe, Pietro Fossati and Osvaldo Bailo; in nearby Castellania Fausto Coppi was born, trained by another great Novi native, Biagio Cavanna.
The museum’s rooms house the permanent exhibition on cycling, with the stories of the heroes of the golden age and of the great domestiques, and the art rooms of the town’s civic collection. The section “Tesori sacri” presents, in the display inaugurated on 27 September 2013 and now permanent, ten canvases of the 17th and 18th centuries: among them a large telero (canvas) by Gio. Raffaele Badaracco with the Institution of the Eucharist, a painting by Bernardo Strozzi and the altarpieces by Giovan Battista Chiappe and Francesco Campora from the church of the Santissima Trinità.
The museum belongs to the municipality of Novi Ligure and also offers temporary exhibitions, guided tours, workshops and a conference room.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on cycling and the champions Girardengo and Coppi
- Stories of the heroes of the golden age and of the great domestiques
- Art rooms with the “Tesori sacri” from the civic collection
- Telero by Badaracco and painting by Bernardo Strozzi
- Guided tours and conference room
Permanent exhibitions
- Ciclismo, arte e cultura – Permanent exhibition on cycling and on the champions of Novi Ligure.
- Tesori sacri dalla collezione civica – Ten 17th- and 18th-century paintings from the civic collection, displayed in the museum’s art rooms.
- Operated by
- Comune di Novi Ligure
- Visitors per year
- approx. 2,800
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Over 60s, university students under 25, military personnel |
| Seniors | €4Reduced rate for over 60s. |
| Students & apprentices | €4University students under 25. |
| Groups | –Guided tours by booking via the museum’s page. |
The ticket covers the permanent exhibition on cycling and the civic collection; a different ticket applies to the temporary exhibitions in the art rooms.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum’s website states a commitment to accessibility; for details on the facilities, please contact the museum.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
By train on the Turin–Genoa and Milan–Genoa lines, with connections at Tortona and Arquata Scrivia.
Novi Ligure is 24 km from Alessandria, 58 km from Genoa, 87 km from Milan and 125 km from Turin. By car: motorway junction on the link road between the A26 Turin–Santhià and the A7 Milan–Genoa, or the Tortona or Serravalle junctions on the A7. The nearest airport is Genoa.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The museum has a conference room that can be booked through the website.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours can be booked online via the museum’s page. |
