Ferrania Film Museum
Cairo Montenotte, Liguria, Italy
The Ferrania Film Museum occupies the top floor of Palazzo Scarampi in Cairo Montenotte's historic centre, preserving the legacy of a pioneering Italian film factory that…
What it's like here
The Ferrania Film Museum occupies the top floor of Palazzo Scarampi in Cairo Montenotte's historic centre, preserving the legacy of a pioneering Italian film factory that operated from 1917 until its closure in recent decades. The museum is devoted not just to the photographic and cinema film the factory produced, but to the entire world it created around itself—the workers, the village, the social life, the innovations. It's an unusually rich resource for anyone interested in analogue photography or Italian cinema, and because the factory shut down relatively recently, the memory remains vivid and documented.
The route through roughly 250 square metres of space is arranged as a passage across six themed rooms. Rather than relying on glass cases alone, the museum uses colour, visual codes and video animation to tell its story, with a deliberate emphasis on light and darkness that feels appropriate for a place about film emulsion. You'll move through "La fabbrica sensibile" on machines and workers, "Made in Ferrania" on products and advertising, "La fabbrica del cinema" on Italian cinema film, "Filmisti!" on homes and families, and rooms covering the factory's environmental initiatives and cultural contributions.
The material on display draws from the factory's own photographic archive, the Giuseppe Reggio Archive and the Fondazione 3M archive, giving the museum access to patents, mid-century advertising campaigns, back issues of the company magazine, and technical documentation of the photographic and radiographic departments. You'll see how the factory evolved through the era of colour film and how it shaped the town around it. Palazzo Scarampi itself, with its cloister, adds architectural interest to the visit.
A guided tour takes about two hours and is the recommended way to experience the place; audio guides are also available. Allow slightly less time if you move through independently. The museum is open Thursday to Saturday mornings and afternoons, with Sunday hours sometimes available—it's worth confirming before you travel, as opening times are subject to change. Entry is affordable at €5 full price, with reductions for children aged 6 to 16, school groups and certain affiliations.
Cairo Montenotte sits in Liguria, roughly 10–15 minutes by car from the Altare motorway exit. By train, San Giuseppe di Cairo station is the nearest, with a bus connection to the town centre. The nearest airport is Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, about 65 kilometres away. A virtual tour of the rooms is available online if you want to preview the space or revisit it afterward.
Highlights
- Six themed rooms exploring the factory's machines, products, cinema work, social life, environmental choices and cultural impact
- Original material from the factory archives, including patents, advertising and the company magazine Ferrania
- Housed in Palazzo Scarampi with its historic cloister in the old town centre
- Guided tours available (around 2 hours) plus audio guide option
- Virtual tour accessible online
Good to know
Entry is €5 (€3 reduced for ages 6–16, school groups and FAI members; free under 5). Opening hours are Thursday to Saturday 9:00–12:00 and 14:30–18:00, with Sunday sometimes added; confirm before visiting as times can change. The museum is at Palazzo Scarampi, Via Ospedale Baccino 28, Cairo Montenotte. By car, allow 10–15 minutes from the Altare motorway exit; by train, San Giuseppe di Cairo station connects to town by bus line 47. Genoa airport is about 65 km away. Phone +39 019 504529 or visit ferraniafilmmuseum.net.
You might also like
Questions people ask
How long should I allow for a visit?
About two hours if you take a guided tour; less if you go through independently.
Where exactly is the museum located?
In Cairo Montenotte, not in Ferrania itself. The factory was at Ferrania, but the museum occupies the top floor of Palazzo Scarampi in the historic centre of Cairo Montenotte.
What kind of material is on display?
Photographs, patents, advertising from the 1950s–60s, the company magazine, technical documentation of photographic and radiographic departments, and records of the factory's evolution through the colour film era.
Attributes & facilities
Experience
Features
Time
Other
Last verified: August 31, 2026