Dynamic Museum of Brick and Terracotta — Marsciano
The Dynamic Museum of Brick and Terracotta (Museo Dinamico del Laterizio e delle Terrecotte) in Marsciano, in the Province of Perugia, is Italy’s principal museum dedicated to the production and history of fired-clay building materials and decorative ceramics. Located in a former brickworks in a region historically famous for its clay deposits and brick-making tradition, the museum combines industrial archaeology with living craft demonstration, housing kilns, presses, and tools alongside exhibits tracing the use of terracotta in architecture from Roman antiquity to the 20th century.
At a glance
- Type
- Specialised museum of industrial heritage and decorative arts
- Period
- Founded 1994; collection spans Roman period to 20th century
- Style
- Industrial archaeology; former working brickworks
- Location
- Marsciano, Province of Perugia, Umbria, Italy
- Coordinates
- 42.9106° N, 12.3375° E
Overview
Marsciano and the surrounding Tiber Valley area have been a centre of clay extraction and brick production since at least the Roman period. The museum occupies a former industrial brickworks and interprets this local tradition through original machinery, period photographs, and a comprehensive collection of brick types, roof tiles, and decorative terracotta elements from across central Italy. It is classified as a “dynamic” museum because it offers live demonstrations of traditional brick-making techniques alongside static displays.
History
Brick-making in the Marsciano area flourished particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when industrial kilns supplied construction material for the expanding urban centres of Umbria and Lazio. As the industry mechanised and then declined, the municipality of Marsciano committed to preserving the heritage of this craft by establishing the museum in 1994 within an authentically preserved production facility. The museum has since grown into a regional cultural reference point for the study of traditional building materials.
What you see
The museum floor preserves original extruding presses, drying sheds, and a historic kiln in working order. Collections include Roman tegulae (roof tiles) and imbrices, medieval floor tiles, Renaissance architectural terracotta mouldings, and 20th-century decorative brickwork samples. Periodic live firing demonstrations allow visitors to observe the complete brick-making cycle from raw clay to finished product, and hands-on workshops are available for school groups and craft enthusiasts.
Cultural significance
The museum is unique in Italy for its focus on the technical and cultural history of brick and terracotta as building materials, a subject typically overshadowed by fine-arts collections. It documents an industrial craft tradition of deep regional identity in Umbria and contributes to national knowledge of vernacular construction techniques that shaped the built landscape of central Italy for two millennia.
Practical information
- Address
- Marsciano, 06055 Marsciano PG, Italy
- Hours
- Check the official museum or Comune di Marsciano website for current opening times and booking requirements for demonstrations
- Admission
- Check official website for current prices; group and school rates may apply
Getting there
Marsciano is located approximately 25 km south of Perugia on the SS220 road. The easiest access by public transport is via APM bus from Perugia Fontivegge station. By car from Perugia, follow signs for Marsciano via the Ponte San Giovanni exit on the E45 motorway.