Piccolo Museo della Poesia
Museum of contemporary poetry and 20th-century Italian poetry, housed since 2025 in the Oratorio di Zamberto in Cadeo, with manuscripts, magazines and works of art.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Piccolo Museo della Poesia was founded in Piacenza on 17 May 2014, in temporary premises and on an experimental basis, on the initiative of Massimo Silvotti, who was soon joined by Sabrina De Canio and Domenico Ferrari Cesena. It presents itself as the only museum dedicated to poetry; it was recognised as unique at European level as early as 2014 and, according to the museum itself, at world level in 2024. It has been listed by ISTAT since 2016 and is a member of the Rete Musei Piacenza.
From 5 September 2020 the museum was based in the Baroque church of San Cristoforo in Piacenza. Thanks to the Opera Pia Alberoni, it moved in autumn 2025 to the Oratorio di San Giuseppe in Zamberto, in the municipality of Cadeo, in open countryside near Saliceto.
The collection is devoted to contemporary poetry from around the world and to 20th-century Italian poetry, with some forays into the 18th and 19th centuries. It includes unpublished and autograph poems, letters, anthologies, literary magazines, posters, visual poetry, paintings, sculptures and installations. Among the best-known pieces are the “Muro degli Angeli”, the only surviving fragment of the wall of Alda Merini’s house, and signed first editions by Saba, Sereni and Montale.
Highlights
- “Muro degli Angeli”, a fragment of the wall of Alda Merini’s house
- Signed first editions by 20th-century authors such as Saba, Sereni and Montale
- Collection of literary magazines and anthologies of 20th-century Italian poetry
- Hundreds of unpublished autograph poems by Italian and foreign poets
- Installations by the artist Antje Stehn and a “Dante” by Omar Galliani
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione del Piccolo Museo della Poesia – Autograph and unpublished poems, books, literary magazines, posters, visual poetry and installations devoted to contemporary poetry and 20th-century Italian poetry.
- Founded
- 2014
- Operated by
- Associazione Piccolo Museo della Poesia
- Director
- Massimo Silvotti
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €15 |
|---|---|
| Groups (5+ people) | –For groups of at least 5 people the visit has a fixed price of €60. |
Poetry visit or collection tour lasting about one hour: €15 per person. Poetry and education visits for schools: €5 per student, free for teachers.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum is in open countryside, at the Podere Zamberto, along Via Sant’Anna in Cadeo (PC); a means of transport is required to reach it.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits by telephone reservation only; school visits should be arranged well in advance. The museum is in open countryside and can only be reached by your own vehicle (car, motorcycle, bicycle) or by bus. |
