Ospedale delle Bambole
Historic doll restoration workshop in central Naples with a small museum of dolls, toys and sound mechanisms.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ospedale delle Bambole grew out of a workshop opened at the end of the 19th century in Via San Biagio dei Librai, in the heart of Spaccanapoli, by Luigi Grassi, a set designer for court theatres and puppet shows, who also built and repaired puppets. It is said that after the repair of a broken doll brought in by a mother, the workshop filled with toys waiting to be mended, and a passer-by called it “’o spitale ’e’ bambule” (Neapolitan for “the dolls’ hospital”): Grassi took from this the sign, a red cross on a wooden plaque.
The activity has continued for several generations within the Grassi family, restoring dolls, teddy bears and toys made of porcelain, wood, papier-mâché, plastic and tin, plush toys, sacred statues, figures from Neapolitan nativity scenes and wigs, using conservation methods.
Today the site is also a museum open to visitors of all ages and to families: it displays whole dolls, limbs, hands, heads, small toys and sound mechanisms accumulated over three generations, while visitors can watch the restorations in the workshop.
Highlights
- Doll restoration workshop active for over a century
- Museum with dolls, heads, limbs and small toys
- Period sound mechanisms
- Restoration workshop visible to visitors
- Location on Spaccanapoli
Permanent exhibition
- Museo dell'Ospedale delle Bambole – Collection of whole dolls, limbs, hands, heads, small toys and sound mechanisms accumulated over three generations of activity.
- Operated by
- Famiglia Grassi
Admission & discounts
Tickets are bought online; prices are not given on the museum’s website.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
The museum presents itself as a place for visitors of all ages and for families.
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
| Good to know | The museum and workshop are in Via San Biagio dei Librai, along Spaccanapoli. |
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