Museo dell'Orologio da Torre «G.B. Bergallo»

About the museum

The museum arose from the wish of Giovanni Bergallo, the family's last clockmaker, to donate his collection to his home town as a record of the craft of clockmaking and of the family's tradition of timekeeping machines. The Bergallo built tower clocks between 1861 and 1980 in the house-workshop where they carried out all their work; their clocks were installed in Liguria, Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Valtellina and even in Patagonia.

The first public display of some pieces from the factory, with hands, dials, mechanisms, writings, photographs and films, was held on 15 September 1984 at the inauguration of the new primary school in Tovo San Giacomo. On that occasion Giovanni Bergallo, having turned down offers from abroad, expressed the hope that a museum would be founded in his town. The museum was established by resolution of the city council on 3 April 1996 and inaugurated on 6 April 1997 in the former Palazzo Civico (town hall) of Bardino Nuovo.

After some years, the arrival of new pieces and growing national importance made restoration work necessary; it was completed in 2011 with the expansion of the spaces and a new display route, produced with the support of the Liguria Region and the De Mari Foundation to a design by the architect Luca Forno. The clocks on show are authentic pieces, the oldest of the 16th century, collected by the family or received as donations from collectors, churches and institutions; alongside the mechanisms can be seen dials, hands and curiosities from bell towers, and pulleys.

Highlights

• Tower clocks from the 16th century to the present day
• Production of the Bergallo family from 1861 to 1980
• Dials, hands and curiosities from bell towers
• Guided tour of about 45 minutes or free visit with captions
• Virtual tour on the museum's website

Permanent exhibition

• Collezione di orologi da torre – Authentic tower clocks from the 16th century, mechanisms and production of the Bergallo family, with dials, hands and curiosities from bell towers.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Comune di Tovo San Giacomo

Admission & discounts

Free admission for residents and for pupils of the schools of Tovo San Giacomo. Partner discounts are available, including the Tourist Card of the Ligurian Riviera.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Bardino Nuovo, in Piazza Can. Giuseppe Folco, in the hinterland of Pietra Ligure about 7 km from the sea. The Pietra Ligure motorway exit is recommended, then the provincial road 4 Pietra Ligure–Tovo–Magliolo and the signs for the museum.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

The museum is available as a venue for private events, such as weddings and parties, and for public events, such as presentations.

Plan your visit