The unexpected object
The Museum of Curiosities is built around a simple idea: telling the everyday life of past centuries through the most unexpected objects. Not the masterpieces, not the archaeological finds, but the tools that show the way people solved small concrete problems: drinking without wetting one's moustache, walking through the high water of Venice, defending oneself from parasites, treating a sight defect, reading the time with the nose. It is an effective curatorial strategy because it works through wonder and gives back history at human scale.
The museum runs on three floors over six hundred square metres. The arrangement is not strictly chronological: thematic showcases (hygiene, clothing, work tools, care devices), scientific curiosities and objects related to social custom alternate. Each piece comes with a caption explaining what it is, what it served, and in which context it was used. The register is popular but documented.
«An hour at the Museum of Curiosities corresponds to an hour of European social history: not the great narrative, but the detail of everyday life.»
Clogs, traps, nose watches
| Object | Period | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Moustache cup | 19th century | Drinking without wetting long moustaches, very common in the 1800s |
| Nose watch | 19th century | Reading the time in low visibility, holding the mechanism in front of the eyes |
| Anti-strabismus glasses | 18th-19th century | Mechanical correction of strabismus with perforated devices |
| High-tide clogs | 18th century | 60 centimetres high, for walking through the flooded Venetian alleys |
| Flea trap | 19th century | Pocket device for catching parasites |
Seat and visit
- Seat
- Historic centre, City of San Marino
- Surface
- 600 m² on three floors
- Visit duration
- 45-75 minutes
- For families
- Themed routes and treasure hunt
Hours and tariffs are set by the management. Verification on site is recommended before the visit.