Museo della Pasta
Museum of the history, technology and culture of pasta in the medieval Corte di Giarola, in the Parco del Taro, with ten sections.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo della Pasta is one of the eight Food Museums of the province of Parma and is housed in the Corte di Giarola, in Collecchio, next to the Museo del Pomodoro (Tomato Museum). The medieval farming estate stands on the right bank of the Taro, along the Via Francigena: from the mid-11th century it belonged to the women’s monastery of San Paolo, which made it a self-sufficient centre with a church, stables, dwellings, a mill and a dairy, protected by walls. In the 20th century it housed a tomato-paste factory, and today it is the heart of the Parco Fluviale Regionale del Taro.
The museum tells the story of dried pasta made from durum wheat semolina, of Middle Eastern origin, which in Italy developed in different areas such as Sicily, Liguria, Naples, Bologna and Emilia. In Parma, in the 19th century, the business of Barilla was founded, which made a decisive contribution to the birth of the museum.
The route is divided into ten sections: from the grain and milling, with a reconstruction of a mill, to the home preparation of fresh pasta with the richest Italian collection of pasta wheels, then a real early 19th-century industrial pasta factory and an artisan laboratory from Emilia with restored original machinery. This is followed by automation, with the first continuous press designed by Braibanti in 1933, the dies for over one hundred shapes, communication with historic posters, gastronomy and, at the close, pasta in art and culture.
Highlights
- Industrial pasta factory from the first half of the 19th century with original machinery
- Richest Italian collection of pasta wheels
- First continuous press by Braibanti, 1933
- Dies for over one hundred pasta shapes
- Historic pasta posters
- Free audio guides in five languages and a children’s route
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso espositivo del Museo della Pasta – Ten sections on grain, milling, fresh pasta, the industrial pasta factory, automation, shapes, communication, gastronomy and art.
- Operated by
- Musei del Cibo della Provincia di Parma
- Visitors per year
- approx. 3,262
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4groups (minimum 15 people), people over 65 and partner agreements |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Free admission under 6; individual students aged 6 to 18: €3. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and one companion. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €4 per person |
| Families | €10Two adults and all the children of the family, with no limit on number; the “Museo Quiz” card, a treasure hunt in the museum, is given free. |
| Musei del Cibo Card (valid for all museums in the circuit) | €15 |
Free admission also for teachers, group leaders and school groups, journalists, and classes from the schools of the Comune di Collecchio (with booking). Reduced admission of €3 for classes from nursery school to upper secondary school and for students of the University of Parma with a Student Card.
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
A video guide in Italian Sign Language (LIS) is available on the website. Small dogs are admitted on a lead.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €10 · Two adults and all the children of the family, with no limit on number; the “Museo Quiz” card, a treasure hunt in the museum, is given free. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Free Kids route with a smartphone and QR code, family ticket at €10 with the “Museo Quiz” card, and educational workshops for schools.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Restaurant
Restaurant of the Corte with a menu of typical Parma products paired with wines of the Colli di Parma, by booking. Dog-sitting service bookable 24 hours in advance.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (IT, EN, FR, DE, ES) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free audio guides via QR code in five languages and podcasts for the Kids route. Guided tours by booking only and with advance payment: groups of fewer than 12 people €25 plus the ticket, groups of 12 to 25 people €2 per head plus the ticket. Booking compulsory for groups and schools. Tep shuttle for schools and reduced-rate electric car hire to reach the Food Museums. |
