Museo di Macchine «Enrico Bernardi»
University museum with the combustion engines and prototypes of engineer Enrico Bernardi, including the Pia and Lauro engines and a tricycle from 1893.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum, run by the Università di Padova, is housed in the Industrial Engineering complex on Via Venezia and holds the machines designed and built by Enrico Bernardi between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bernardi was one of Italy’s pioneers of internal combustion engines.
The collection occupies a single room and includes an atmospheric gas engine (1878–1884), the single-cylinder petrol engines of the Pia and Lauro models, a tricycle from 1893 and a three-wheeled car from 1894, which reached 35 km/h. There are also a 3 hp petrol engine from 1896, a speedometer from 1880, a dynamometer, a Holtz induction machine and a centrifugal pump.
Alongside the machines the museum keeps the engineer’s handwritten notebooks, drawings and notes. Films and interactive screens help explain how the engines work. The museum is part of the network of museums of the Università di Padova.
Highlights
- Pia and Lauro petrol engines
- 1893 tricycle and 1894 three-wheeled car
- Atmospheric gas engine (1878–1884)
- Handwritten notebooks, drawings and notes by Enrico Bernardi
- Films and interactive monitors on how the engines work
Permanent exhibition
- Le macchine di Enrico Bernardi – Gas and petrol engines, a tricycle and a three-wheeled car by the engineer from Padua, together with notebooks, drawings and instruments.
- Operated by
- Università degli Studi di Padova
- Visitors per year
- approx. 1,600
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 12 · Free admission up to age 12. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Free admission for one person with a disability and one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free admission for students and staff of the Università di Padova (with ID card). |
| Families | €6Family ticket: 2 adults and up to 3 children under 17. |
| Guided tour for groups (1 hour, up to 20 people) | €50Rate per group. |
Single ticket €3, family ticket €6. Free admission also for members of the association Amici dell’Università and for other categories listed on the website (e.g. ICOM members and journalists).
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €6 · Family ticket: 2 adults and up to 3 children under 17. |
- Family tours & workshops
The museum occasionally offers guided tours for children and families (e.g. “In viaggio con Lauro”) and a family ticket.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Porta Portello · 2-min walk
Bus and tram stops are nearby; the museum is about a 2-minute walk from Porta Portello and about 21 minutes on foot from the railway station and the bus station.
By car
For those arriving by car, the Padova Centro Park car park (Via Trieste 50) is recommended.
The museum is located inside the Industrial Engineering complex, near Porta Portello.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | The audio guide is free and is played on your own device by scanning a QR code. The guided tour lasts one hour, for groups of up to 20 people, and presents Enrico Bernardi’s inventions and career with images, videos and interactive monitors. |
