Museo dei Tasso e della storia postale
Civic museum in the medieval village of Cornello dei Tasso, devoted to the family that organised the European postal service and to the history of communications.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The civic museum, run by the municipality of Camerata Cornello, was founded in 1991 in the medieval village of Cornello dei Tasso, the family’s place of origin. It tells how the Tasso family, over the centuries, created and ran the European postal network, and more generally the history of the transmission of information.
The route comprises six rooms in three buildings of the village. The first is devoted to the territory and its link with the Tasso family; rooms 2 to 4 cover the Tasso postal network in Italy and Europe, the poets Bernardo and Torquato Tasso, travel, the symbols on letters, and the theme of epidemics and disinfection; the last two cover changes in communication from the 19th century onwards, with mail art and philately. Among the documents is a letter of 1840 franked with the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp.
After the renovation and re-display works, the museum can only be visited in part: one section of the collection is shown in the first room, while the others are temporarily closed. Reopening with the new display is planned for 31 October 2026.
Highlights
- History of the Tasso family and the European postal service
- Letter of 1840 with the Penny Black
- Sections on Bernardo and Torquato Tasso
- Mail art and philately
- Medieval village of Cornello dei Tasso, listed among the Borghi più belli d’Italia
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso permanente sui Tasso e la storia postale – Six rooms in three buildings of the village on the Tasso postal network, on the poets Bernardo and Torquato Tasso and on the evolution of communications; at present only the first room is open.
- Founded
- 1991
- Operated by
- Comune di Camerata Cornello
- Visitors per year
- approx. 16,300
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Adults | free |
|---|
Free admission to the museum; for visitors accompanied by a guide the cost is €3 per person.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The village of Cornello can only be reached on foot; the route from the car park in via Cornello to the village and museum is mostly flat and accessible. The car park has a space for people with reduced mobility. A platform lift leads to the museum’s entrance level, a stairlift serves the reception and platform lifts serve the other rooms (rooms 2 and 3 are temporarily closed). Tactile maps at the village entrance and in front of the church, with QR codes for texts intended for blind and partially sighted people. An accessible toilet, a changing table and a children’s rest area are available; guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome, and small animals may come in carriers or bags. Panels and captions in Italian and English, movable seating in the rooms. The church is reached by cobbled steps, which are slippery when wet.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
The museum has a changing table and a rest area suitable for children; guided tours are offered for children’s groups.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The car park in via Cornello has one space for people with reduced mobility, and the museum recommends it to those with walking difficulties. At weekends, on public holidays and in summer spaces are limited. Alternatively, you can park in the piazzale degli Alpini in San Giovanni Bianco and walk up along the Valle Brembana cycle path, following the signs “Via Mercatorum”.
- Accessible parking
Cornello dei Tasso is a medieval village that can only be reached on foot.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum bookshop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours of the village of Cornello and of other places linked to the Tasso family can be booked, for individuals, adult and children’s groups and schools, on the museum’s opening days and times. |
