"Made in Italy”: the historical memory of Italian industry

From the firm to the museum, from know-how to promoting knowledge: many Italian industries, big and small, with long-standing experience and deep ties to the local territory, have embraced this challenge by opening their facilities to visitors.

 

Associations such as Museimpresa or the Italian Association for Industrial and Archaeological Heritage (Associazione Italiana per il Patrimonio Archeologico Industriale - AIPAI) were established in order to develop research and promote debate on entrepreneurial culture, the preservation of the historical memory of Italy’s productive system, and the conservation and publication of archival and exhibition-worthy material.

 

Numerous museums have been inaugurated. Along with celebrating their heritage, these institutions preserve a precious trove of material documenting creativity and project-making, tradition and innovation, portraits of pioneering figures and “group photos” of entire communities. It is no surprise that a significant proportion of Italy’s corporate museums have to do with the most important Italian productive sectors, including the food, automotive, textile, and design industries.