Bagpipe Museum — Mancini Palace
The Bagpipe Museum (Museo della Zampogna) housed in Mancini Palace is the principal institution in Italy dedicated to the zampogna, the traditional double-chanter bagpipe of southern Italy. Located in Scapoli, a small hill town in the Molise Apennines, the museum documents the living craft tradition of bagpipe makers and players that has made this village internationally known among ethnomusicologists and folk music enthusiasts.
At a glance
- Type
- Ethnographic and musical instrument museum
- Period
- Mancini Palace: 18th century; museum established late 20th century
- Style
- Southern Italian aristocratic palazzo
- Location
- Scapoli, Province of Isernia, Molise, Italy · 41.6162° N, 14.0557° E
Overview
The Museo della Zampogna preserves and interprets the cultural heritage of the bagpipe across Italy and the broader Mediterranean world, with particular focus on the Molise and Campania traditions. The collection encompasses instruments from different regional schools, makers’ tools, historical photographs, and audio-visual documentation of performances. Scapoli hosts an annual international bagpipe festival every July that draws performers and craftsmen from across Europe and beyond, reinforcing the living dimension of the heritage the museum represents.
History
Scapoli has been a centre of zampogna craftsmanship for at least three centuries, with families of liutai (instrument makers) transmitting their skills across generations in the Apennine communities of the upper Volturno valley. Mancini Palace, a late-Baroque noble residence, was repurposed as a cultural venue to house the museum collection, providing a dignified institutional setting for the ethnographic material. The museum was formally established with the support of the municipality and regional cultural bodies of Molise to preserve a tradition recognised by UNESCO as part of Italy’s intangible cultural heritage landscape. The International Festival of the Bagpipe, inaugurated in the 1980s, has been instrumental in raising the museum’s profile.
What you see
The museum displays a diverse array of zampogne in different sizes and configurations, from the large ciaramella-paired instruments of Lazio and Campania to smaller Calabrian and Sicilian variants, as well as bagpipes from other European traditions for comparative study. Informational panels explain the acoustics, construction techniques, and regional variations of the instrument. The Mancini Palace itself contributes an atmospheric historic interior, with vaulted rooms and period architectural details framing the ethnographic display. Visitors can typically find recordings or live demonstrations during the festival period.
Cultural significance
The Museo della Zampogna di Scapoli is the only institution in Italy dedicated exclusively to the bagpipe and its cultural world, making it an irreplaceable reference point for the study of Italian folk music. It plays a central role in the revitalisation of a craft at risk of disappearing, supporting the few remaining master makers and encouraging new generations to learn the trade. The museum and festival together have established Scapoli as an internationally recognised destination for world music heritage tourism.
Practical information
- Address
- Palazzo Mancini, Via Roma, 86070 Scapoli IS
- Hours
- Check official website or contact the municipality of Scapoli; hours vary seasonally
- Annual festival
- International Festival of the Bagpipe, Scapoli — held each July
Getting there
Scapoli lies in the upper Volturno valley, approximately 30 km northeast of Isernia, the nearest city with a rail connection. From Isernia, the village is best reached by car via the SS158 road; there is no direct public bus service to Scapoli. Isernia is connected by rail to Rome Termini (approximately 2 hours) and to Campobasso. A car or organised tour is recommended for visiting the Molise Apennines.