Museo Opificio Rubboli
Museum in the former lustreware majolica factory of Rubboli, with 19th-century muffle kilns and ceramics from 1878 to the 1960s.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum occupies the 19th-century rooms of the former factory founded by Paolo Marino Rubboli, who settled in Gualdo Tadino in 1875 and began producing lustreware majolica in the spaces of the former monastery of San Francesco. The workshop revived the Renaissance techniques associated with the name of Mastro Giorgio Andreoli of Gubbio, achieving the golden and ruby metallic reflections that had made Umbrian ceramics famous.
The work continued within the family for generations, with the women of the household playing an important role in preparing the lustres. In 2015 the factory was turned into a museum, which preserves the rooms, tools and original kilns of the manufactory.
The display features lustreware majolica produced between 1878 and the 1960s, alongside pieces from other manufactories of the same period. Four rooms illustrate the stages of production: turning, modelling, firing and glazing. These are followed by the muffle kilns, built in 1884 and used for the third firing with broom smoke, similar to those described in Cipriano Piccolpasso’s treatise of 1558.
Highlights
- Muffle kilns from 1884 for lustre firing
- Rubboli lustreware majolica from 1878 to the 1960s
- Rooms dedicated to turning, modelling, firing and glazing
- Original tools: lathes, troughs, moulds, oxides and pigments
- “Tradizione Contemporanea” section with lustres designed by Italian designers
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso dell'opificio Rubboli – Four rooms devoted to the stages of majolica production, the muffle kilns and a collection of lustres from 1878 to the 1960s.
- Founded
- 2015
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3children aged 7 to 18, university students and people over 65 |
The single ticket of the Polo museale costs €6 and is valid for all museums in Gualdo Tadino.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Educational activities for schools are available, differentiated by age.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The museum offers guided tours, thematic talks and workshops for schools of all levels. |
