'Non-Museum' Museums

VAL D'AOSTA
• Courmayeur: Museo alpino Duca degli Abruzzi. Open Tues-Sun 9-12:30 and 3:30-7. One of the world's premier mountaineering museums.

TRENTINO-ALTO ADIGE

• San Michele all'Adige: Museo degli usi e costumi, Agostinian Monastery. Seventy rooms in a beautiful ancient convent, with displays showing the evolution of the local alpine lifestyle, exhibits about weaving, milling, sewing, metalworking, mountain climbing, woodwork, winemaking, pottery, cuisine and more.

VENETO

• Venice : Museo navale, 2148 Campo San Biagio, Castello (Arsenale vaporetto stop). Open Mon-Sat 9-1, tel. 041 520 0276. One of the most fascinating ways to learn about Venice's past as a great maritime power is a visit to this museum. The first section houses an extraordinary collection of model ships from around the world, including a huge model of the extravagant Bucitnoro, the ship of the Doges. Then walk along the canal to the wooden bridge to the shipyard, where many historical boats -- such as a 19th-century gilded hearse, a police boat, an ambulance boat, a 48-oar combat vessel, and a working barge -- are on display. Take advantage of the excellent rest rooms while you're here!
  
  

LOMBARDY
• Cremona: Museo stradivariano, Via Palestro 17. Open Tues-Fri 8:30-5, Sun 9-1. A nice display of documents about Antonio Stradivari, the world's greatest violinmaker, as well as his designs for instruments and the tools he used to make them.
• Como: Museo della seta, Via Valleggio 3. Open Tues-Sat 9-12 and 3-6. Dedicated to the town's old gold mine, the silk industry.Mantova: Museo Tazio Nuvolari, Piazza Broletto 9. Open Tues-Sun 9-1 and 3-6. Closed Thurs morning. Personal effects and souvenirs, documents and photographs from the great race car driver's past. Rho: Museo storico Alfa Romeo, Corso Europa 291. Open Mon-Fri 10-12:30 and 1:30-5. Call 02-9339-2108 the previous day to reserve.
• Santa Maria Maggiore: Museo dello spazzacamino. Charming display of the tools and techniques used by chimney sweeps. Ask at the local tourist office for opening hours.
• Milan: Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Via Santo Spirito 10/Via Gesù 5. Open Tues.-Sun. 1-5 pm. Right in the heart of the shopping district, this extravagant 19th-century home is still arranged exactly as it was when its last art collector owner resided there. With its original Renaissance art and decorative arts collections, the museum is like a "magic window" onto the recent past. It also organizes exhibits and special events--such as summertime concerts and live theater--for adults and children alike.
• Angera, Lake Maggiore: Museo delle bambole e della moda infantile, Rocca Borromeo. Open March 27- September 30 9:30 - 12:30 and 2-6; October 9:30 - 12:30 and 2-5. Over 1000 dolls and toys from the private collection of Princess Bona Borromeo, inside the fairy-tale castle home of her family.
  
  

Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Milan

Museo delle bambole, Angera

PIEDMONT
• Borgosesia: Museo del folklore valsesiano, Via Manifattura 10. Open Sat 9-12 and 3-6, Sun 3-6.
• Gignese, Museo dell'ombrello. Open (April-Sept) daily 10-12 and 3-5.
  
  

LIGURIA
• Imperia: Il museo dell'oliva, Via Garessio 113. Open 9-12 and 3-6:30, except Tuesday. No admission charge. 6000 years of history about the olive and the many uses man has found for it. Imperia: Museo navale internazionale del Ponente Ligure, P.zza Duomo. Open Wed and Sat 3:30-7 (except July and August, when it's open 9-11pm). Call 0183-651541 or 64572 two or three days in advance to reserve.
• Triora: Museo delle streghe, Corso Italia 4. Open (Sept.-June) Sunday 3-7, (July and August) Mon-Sun 3-7. A memorial to Liguria's only witch trial, held in 1588.
  
  

EMILIA-ROMAGNA
• Parma: Historic Pharmacy of San Giovanni, Borgo Pipa. Open Tues-Sat 9-2; Sun 9-1. A mysterious world of ancient potions, herbs and apothacary jars, along with some nice 16th-century frescoes and furnishings.
• Faenza : Museo internazionale delle ceramiche, Viale Baccarini 19. Open (Nov 1-March 31) Tues-Fri 9-1:30, Sat 9-1:30 and 3-6, Sun 9:30-1; (April 1-Oct 31) Tues-Sat 9-7, Sun 9:30-1. The best place in the world for anyone who likes pottery and ceramics, with huge modern and ancient collections from Italy and almost every other country on earth. The pre-Colombian and Oriental exhibits are especially interesting, and the moden exhibit has peices by Picasso, Chagall and Matisse.
• Cesenatico: Museo della marineria (Seafaring Museum). In 1502 this city about 20 km south of Ravenna was literally sinking into its own sandy foundations, so the local ruler Cesare Borgia called Leonardo da Vinci in to design a harbor, which still runs right through the heart of the town. At the tail end of this picturesque canal is Italy's only floating museum, where numerous historical boats fly their colorful flags when the weather is fine. On the shore nearby is the terrestrial part of the museum, where larger boats are displayed alongside a bonafide 18th-century naval workshop with all the tools of the trade. For more pictures, click here.
• Parma: Consorzio di Prosciutto di Parma, Via Marco dell'Arpa 8, tel. 011-39-521-243987. Contact these folks to arrange for a free visit to a Parma ham factory. If you're more interested in parmesan cheese, you'll want to get in touch with the Consorzio di Parmiggiano Reggiano, Via Gramsci 26/C, tel. 011-39-0521-292700.
• Modena: Consorzio Produttori di Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, c/o Camera di Commercio, Via Granaceto 134, 41100 Modena, tel. 011-39-059-208298 is the place to contact for a fascinating tour of the balsamic vinegar factories.
  
  

MARCHES
• Fabriano: Museo della carta e della filigrana, Largo F.lli Spacca. Open Tues-Sat 9-12 and 3-6, Sun 9-12:30. Learn the history of papermaking and printing, in a beautiful Renaissance setting.

TUSCANY
• Florence: Firenze com'era, Via dell'Oriolo 24. Open Fri-Wed 9-2, Sun 9-1. Drawings, paintings, prints and photographs show what Florence has looked like through the years.
• Siena: Enoteca italica permanente, Fortezza Medicea. Open daily 12-12. A great way to end a day of sight seeing. Climb the bastions of the fortress for a breathtaking sunset view, then descend into the cellars to this showcase for Italian wines. For a small charge, you are encouraged to sip the vintages in the cellars or on the terrace.
  
  

LATIUM
• Rome: Mostra permanente della communità israelita, Lungotevere Cenci. Open Mon-Fri 9-1. Manuscripts, religious objects and prints that show what Rome's historic ghetto used to look like.
• Click here for an extensive listing in Rome.
  
  

SICILY
• Palermo: Museo internazionale delle marionette, Via Butera 1. Open Mon, Wed, Fri 9-1 and 4-7, Tues, Thurs, Sat 9-1. Sicily's famous puppets and marionettes, along with a nice collection of Oriental marionettes. There's also a charming theatre where shows take place regularly.
• Caltagirone: Museo delle ceramiche, Via Rima. Open Tues-Sat 9-2, Sun 9-1. Actually, this whole town is like a pottery museum, with almost every square inch covered in bright majolica tiles.
  
  

SARDINIA
• Nuoro: Museo del costume e delle tradizioni popolari, Via A. Mereu 56. Open Tues-Sun 9:30-1; Tues, Wed, Fri-Sun 3:30-7.