Museo della merda
Museum in the Castelbosco castle devoted to the role of dung in art, science and history; guided visits at weekends by reservation.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo della Merda opened in 2015 inside the Castelbosco castle, in the municipality of Gragnano Trebbiense, in the province of Piacenza. The idea is that of the farm entrepreneur Gianantonio Locatelli, owner of the estate, who developed the project with the architect Luca Cipelletti and the artists Gaspare Luigi Marcone and Massimo Valsecchi.
The museum grows out of a large dairy cattle farm and the energy recovery of its waste. The exhibition brings together contemporary works of art, scientific materials, historical texts and design objects, to show how dung has been used over the centuries as fertiliser, fuel, building material and medicine, as well as being a subject for artistic reflection.
Among the rooms are works by artists such as Claudio Parmiggiani, Gianfranco Baruchello, Daniel Spoerri, and Bernd and Hilla Becher, together with sections devoted to dung beetles, bioluminescent bacteria and a Wunderkammer (cabinet of curiosities) of natural and artificial objects. The collection also includes a series of objects in “merdacotta”, a material made by processing dung.
Highlights
- Works by Claudio Parmiggiani, Gianfranco Baruchello and Daniel Spoerri
- Section on dung beetles in nature, religion and art
- Wunderkammer of natural and artificial objects
- Design objects in “merdacotta”
- Visit inside the Castelbosco castle
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso del museo – Rooms devoted to contemporary art and to the science and history of dung, with works by Parmiggiani, Baruchello and Spoerri, a Wunderkammer and the section on dung beetles.
- Founded
- 2015
- Operated by
- Tenuta Castelbosco (famiglia Locatelli)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Students up to age 25 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s. |
| Students & apprentices | €5Up to age 25. |
Tickets are paid on site.
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 the Castelbosco castle, in the locality of Campremoldo Sopra (hamlet of Gragnano Trebbiense).
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum products are sold in the Shit Shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 75 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Entry is only possible with a guided visit (lasting 60–75 minutes). Bookings must be made by writing to booking@museodellamerda.org with the day, time and number of participants; the booking must be confirmed by email by the preceding Friday. Museum products are bought at the Shit Shop. |
