People zipping around town on Vespas, immaculately dressed, past historic buildings and pretty piazzas, on the way to meet friends for coffee. It is one of those idealised images of Italy that many of us have and there is no doubt that, no matter how accurate a picture this may or may not be, Vespa is one of the most iconic products to come out of the country. It is intrinsically Italian. If you are a bit of a Vespa fanatic, there is surely one Italian destination that will have decided itself: Pontedera in the Province of Pisa, where you'll find the Piaggio Museum. Piaggio is the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world but it was the world renown of the Vespa that put the company on the international map.
First produced in 1946, just after the second world war, the brand counts Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, and John Wayne as early adopters and fans. This museum is where you can learn all about the history of the company, its development and its products. Throughout the museum, you will find Vespa and Gilera collections alongside the most significant of Piaggio’s numerous products. The Vespas on display are the most beautiful and the rarest of their kind, such as the prestigious Vespa Dalì, mopeds such as the Ciao and Sì that marked an era, and the most beautiful and most famous motorcycles from the two-ring brand.
The museum was a dream of the company's young president, Giovanni Alberto Agnelli, in the 1990s and came into being in 2000 when a former tooling shop in one of the oldest Piaggio facilities in Pontedera was converted into a centre for arts and culture to house the museum.
The permanent collection is made up of historic vehicles and the Historic Archive, one of the most important corporate archives in Italy, which contains full records on the company’s history.
Best of all, entrance is free and it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Just find a luxury villa in Pisa and drop by on your next trip to Tuscany!
The permanent collection is made up of historic vehicles and the Historic Archive, one of the most important corporate archives in Italy, which contains full records on the company’s history.
Best of all, entrance is free and it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Just find a luxury villa in Pisa and drop by on your next trip to Tuscany!
