Photo: Carlo1213 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Museo dell'Arte Vetraria Altarese

Glass museum in Altare, in the Liberty-style Villa Rosa, with works from the 18th century to today, tools and a tactile route for blind visitors.

Opening hoursAdmission €7 Wheelchair accessible

Website Directions

About the museum

Altare has a long glassmaking tradition. The Società Artistico Vetraria, founded on Christmas Eve 1856 by the leading families of Altare's glassmakers, produced mainly utilitarian glass and glass for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, as well as artistic objects by master craftsmen; a company museum was set up inside the glassworks. After the cooperative went bankrupt in 1978, the museum was bought by the municipality of Altare and formed the core of the current collection.

In 1982 the Istituto per lo Studio del Vetro e dell'Arte Vetraria (I.S.V.A.V.) was founded, tasked with preserving and promoting the objects. After several moves, the first Museo del Vetro di Altare found a home in the oratorio di San Sebastiano (1991) and from 1993 opened to the public all year round. Since 2004 the collection has had its permanent home at Villa Rosa, a Liberty-style townhouse designed by the engineer Nicolò Campora for Monsignor Giuseppe Bertolotti, lived in from 1906 and bought in 1992 by the Ministero per i Beni Culturali (Ministry of Cultural Heritage).

Today the museum presents a selection of works from 1700 to the present day, together with tools for craft processing and multimedia displays illustrating the stages of glassmaking.

Highlights

Works in Altare glass from the 18th century to today
Utilitarian glass and glass for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry from the Società Artistico Vetraria
Tools of artisanal glass processing, with multimedia displays
Villa Rosa, a Liberty-style townhouse from the early 20th century
Tactile route with maps and Braille materials

Permanent exhibition

Collezione permanente del vetro altarese – Glass works from the 18th century to today, craft tools and multimedia displays on the stages of production.

Founded: 1991
Operated by: I.S.V.A.V. – Istituto per lo Studio del Vetro e dell'Arte Vetraria
Visitors per year: approx. 6,800

Admission & discounts

Adults	€7
Reduced	€5Visitors aged 6 to 14, over-65s, university students, holders of the Musei Lombardia/Valle d’Aosta and Musei Piemonte/Valle d’Aosta passes, FAI members, members of the Ordine degli Architetti di Savona, Coop Liguria members, holders of the Selecard and Mondadori Card
Children & teens	€5free up to age 5 · Free admission for children under 6; reduced rate from 6 to 14.
Visitors with disabilities	freeFree admission for people with disabilities.
Groups (10+ people)	€9 per personAdult groups with a guided tour (reduced ticket plus tour), one free companion. Schools: €2 for entry only (minimum 10 people) or €3 with reduced entry and tour; teachers and driver free. Visits outside opening hours by arrangement, at an extra cost (€60 for adult groups, €40 for schools).
Guided tour in Italian – adults	€5Price per person
Guided tour in Italian – children aged 6 to 14	€3Price per person

Free admission also for residents of Altare, journalists, ICOM members and employees of the Ministero della Cultura (Ministry of Culture). Guided tours for groups are conducted in Italian and require booking.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Elevator
Accessible restroom: no information
Accessible parking: no information
Service dogs welcome: no information
Tactile models & exhibits
Sign language tours: no information
Easy-to-read materials: no information
Audio description: no information

A lift serves all floors. For visitors with visual impairments there are tactile orientation maps, lecterns with Braille texts and high-legibility large-print texts in the main rooms, a tactile workshop with the guide, and a Braille catalogue available on request.

Kids & families

Kids’ admission	free up to age 5

Baby changing facilities
Playground / play area

Thanks to the Lilliput project, the museum has a changing table and a nursing chair on the first floor, where children have a dedicated space with a small table and little seats for drawing and taking part in activities.