Photo: Margheritapollini, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Museum
- Period
- Modern era, 2010
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 44°44′27″ N, 10°10′27″ E
- Address
- Strada Giarola, 11 - Collecchio
History and description
The Museum of Tomato (in Italian Museo del pomodoro) is an Italian ethnographic museum dedicated to the tomato. It is located in Corte di Giarola, between Collecchio and Ozzano Taro, in the Province of Parma, a region historically dedicated to the production and processing of tomatoes. The museum shares space with the Museum of Pasta (in Italian della pasta).
History
In 2001, the Comitato Promotore dei Musei del Cibo (literally the Promoting Committee of Food Museums) was founded. Starting 2003 and 2004, it cooperated with the Association of the Food Museums of the Province of Parma, that had brought together the Province of Parma, the Communes of Soragna, Langhirano and Collecchio, a consortium of protectionists of typical food products, the Chamber of Commerce of Parma and various economic associations, all interested in the creation and management of a network of Food Museums in the province of Parma. This resulted in launching of an initiative to establish a museum in Corte di Giarola, a public building, and a great medieval rural court, as a museum dedicated to the tomato. It shares space with an adjoining Museum of Pasta (in Italian Museo della pasta).
Opening
The Tomato Museum is located on the ground floor of the west wing of Corte di Giarola that was renovated. It was earlier a centre for processing agricultural food products dating back to the medieval times until the end of the 19th century, later a processing industry for conserve and food in for the first six decades of the 20th century. The museum was inaugurated on September 25, 2010 coinciding with a conference with a convention dedicated to "Il pomodoro a Parma: storia, imprenditorialità e gusto" (meaning "Tomato in Parma: history, entrepreneurship and taste") with invitees Tullio Gregory, the director of the Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, the nutritionist Giorgio Calabrese, Giancarlo Gonizzi, the Italian coordinator of the Food Museums and famous food journalist Davide Paolini.
Exhibition halls
The exhibition halls of the Museum of Tomato are divided into seven sections. The first section, is characterized by the presence of a large central sculpture depicting a cut tomato, and through a series of panels, descriptions of the many existing tomato varieties, the history of its arrival in Europe from the American continent. The second hall illustrates, through some historical images and objects, the development of the tomato processing industry in Parma region, whereas the third hall displays 14 vintage machinery, describing the development of tomato production technologies, whereas the fourth hall describes the production process, the finished product and packaging. The fifth hall illustrates through some panels, the development of the tomato mechanical industry, and sixth hall illustrates, through pictures and panels, the pioneers of the industry and production facilities of well-established factories. Finally the seventh hall describes, through panels, postcards, advertising brochures, and catalogs, the rich culture of the "Pomodoro World".
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Museum of Tomato».
Timeline
- 2010Founded and opened
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
MedesanoTrain, nearest
2.8 km as the crow flies
Museum of TomatoStrada Giarola, 11 - Collecchio
Aeroporto di Parma "Giuseppe Verdi"13.6 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore museums in Emilia-Romagna
- Free 1st Sunday
Frequently asked questions
Where is Museum of Tomato?
Museum of Tomato is in Collecchio, in the province of Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. Address: Strada Giarola, 11 - Collecchio. GPS coordinates: 44.74072, 10.17414.
How old is Museum of Tomato?
Wikidata dates it to 2010.
What else is there to see near Museum of Tomato?
Nearby you’ll find: Museum of Pasta (0 m away), Corte di Giarola (100 m away), Castle of Segalara (2.4 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 2 photos
- Museo del Pomodoro - Collecchio (PR) - Esterno — Margheritapollini, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Corte di Giarola (Collecchio) - ali ovest e nord 2019-06-12 — Parma1983, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences