Discover Italy’s Largest Puppet Museum at the Castello dei Burattini
The Castello dei Burattini – Giordano Ferrari Museum in Parma is a perfect destination for families with children and tells a great story about animated theater with historical pieces created and collected by the Ferrari family and other works.
My little girls are crazy about it, so I will definitely take them there! Yes, because the Castello dei Burattini, housed inside the Museo Giordano Ferrari, is recognized as the most prestigious and important collection in Italy of objects related to animation theater. The exhibition, which is spread over an area of about 300 square meters, contains specimens collected by the Parma puppeteer, Giordano Ferrari, in more than 60 years of activity: 1,500 puppets worked and carved by the Ferrari family and materials gleaned over the years, but produced by other artists.
The Museum, a joy for all families with children, showcases wooden puppets, scenic photographs, scripts, texts on theater, a superb paper archive chronicling the world of show business, stage sets, posters, and more. To visit the Museum, one follows a specific exhibition itinerary, which runs along two sections: the area of handmade Italian puppets and that of foreign, contemporary, and industrially produced puppets, and the section on marionettes, in which one sets out to discover the major Italian companies represented in the collection, with a special focus on Lupi, Colla, and Concordia, who had a very close working relationship with the Ferrari family.
The Exhibition Itinerary
To visit the Museum at its best, one must follow the criterion desired by the creator: starting with the discovery of the puppets, at the center of the rooms, in which one can admire puppet theater-like structures, to arrive at the wall displays, contained within vertical shelving, where the puppets are housed. Further enriching the experience are playbills, posters, scripts, and other details that will enable visitors to better understand the historical context within which the puppets on display developed over time. Finally, also within the museum, there is the possibility of access to rooms for performances and educational workshops. The Castello dei Burattini was founded in 2002 inside the former convent of San Paolo and was strongly desired by Giordano Ferrari as a place in which to collect, with proper criteria and valorization, everything the Italian artist collected during his existence.
Ferrari Family History
The father of the family is Italo Ferrari, whose predominant passion, despite his beginnings as a shoemaker, was always and only related to the world of puppets. After attending numerous performances, Mr. Ferrari decided to put on a show of his own, starring some puppets, dressed in rags and lots and lots of inventiveness. The first performance he put on was “The Perilous Forest”. With tips from Maestro Francesco Campogalliani and an eviscerated passion for this fairy world, Mr. Ferrari refined his technique and began touring from town to town. From tragic to comic plays, his repertoire grew by leaps and bounds and the Company became a point of reference for lovers of the genre, performing in squares, theaters, and, finally, on TV.
Giordano Ferrari, the last in a family of great puppeteers, son of Italo, took the reins of the company upon his father’s death and immediately showed exceptional qualities as a set designer, choreographer, special effects creator, guitarist, and, of course, puppeteer. With the help of his wife, a soprano and voice of the female characters, and his children, the Ferrari Company grew, if possible, even more. Since the passing of its founder, the Company has performed in all the major theaters in the Bel Paese, Europe, South America, and Asia.
To this day, the family continues to actively collaborate with the Castello dei Burattini – Giordano Ferrari Museum, with animation activities and performances within the museum reality. The masks that take center stage in their shows are mainly from Emilia and Veneto, with incursions of famous characters appreciated by young and old alike, such as Sandrone (a peasant from Modena), Fasolino (a young boy from the people of Bologna), Brighella, Harlequin, Pantalone, and others. At the Puppet Castle, every first and third Sunday of each month, visitors have the privilege of watching the famous show “The Fable of the Woodheads”, staged by the Company.
Very Brief Interesting Facts About St. Paul’s Monastery
Home to the Castello dei Burattini, the monastery is a quiet, green space in the heart of Parma. Once a convent of Benedictine nuns, the building’s foundation dates back to the year 1000, and, over the centuries, the monastery has undergone numerous restoration works, including an expansion carried out during the Renaissance period. The building was finally acquired by the municipality at the end of the 19th century and was used partly as a Magistral Institute, a women’s boarding school, and the headquarters of the Aziende Municipalizzate. Later, the municipality allocated part of the complex to activities of cultural interest, including, precisely, the Puppet Castle.
Practical Information
- Location: Castello dei Burattini – Museo Giordano Ferrari, Musei Civici di San Paolo, Via Melloni 3/a, Parma.
- Opening Hours:
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM.
- Closed on Tuesdays.
- Admission:
- Adults: €4.
- Children up to 25 years: €2.50.
- Free: Children up to 4 years old, disabled persons, and their carers.
- Expected Visit Duration: About 1 hour.
