MuMAB – Museo Mare Antico e Biodiversità

About the museum

In 1985 the palaeontophile Raffaele Quarantelli found, in the bed of the Stirone stream near Salsomaggiore Terme, the skeleton of a Miocene whale, today recognised as Plesiobalaenoptera quarantellii (name made official in 2010) and dedicated to his grandchild Giorgia. Quarantelli donated his fossil collection to the city of Salsomaggiore, giving rise to the museum, which is regarded as one of the most important collections on the geological evolution of the Po Basin.

Since 5 September 2020 MuMAB has been housed in the Podere Millepioppi, a rural estate confiscated from organised crime and entrusted to the Stirone and Piacenziano Regional Park, in the locality of San Nicomede. The park's offices and library are also located here.

The route tells the story of the “ancient sea” that covered northern Italy, from the Middle Miocene to the Pleistocene, and is complemented by a section on the biodiversity of the area. Outside, visitors can walk the trails, visit a butterfly garden and an orchard of old varieties, and reach the Stirone canyon, an open-air museum.

Highlights

• Fossil whale skeleton Plesiobalaenoptera quarantellii (“Giorgia”)
• Fossils from the Stirone Park, about 7 million years old, that you can touch
• Collection of Raffaele Quarantelli on the ancient sea of the Po Valley
• Butterfly garden and orchard of old varieties
• Excursions to the Stirone canyon

Permanent exhibition

• Il mare antico e la biodiversità del Parco dello Stirone – Palaeontological collection of the Po Basin with the fossil whale skeleton “Giorgia” and a section on local biodiversity.

Operated by

Parchi del Ducato (Ente di gestione per i Parchi e la Biodiversità – Emilia occidentale) con il Comune di Salsomaggiore Terme

Visitors per year

approx. 5,848

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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

Accessibility information is not published on the pages consulted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum offers workshops for children (for example for ages 7–12), events, summer camps and activities with schools; some fossils can be touched.

Getting there & parking

The museum lies between Salsomaggiore Terme and Fidenza, about 15 minutes by car from the Fidenza exit of the A1; it can also be reached by bicycle or on foot from the Salsomaggiore or Fidenza stations.

Amenities & 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