Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica

The Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica (International Museum and Library of Music) is a treasure trove for music lovers, located in the elegant Palazzo Sanguinetti in central Bologna. The museum showcases a vast collection of musical instruments from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including harpsichords, violins, and early pianos, alongside original scores and librettos by composers such as Mozart, Rossini, and Verdi. The library holds over 100,000 volumes, including rare manuscripts and treatises. Visitors can explore richly decorated rooms with frescoed ceilings, and interactive exhibits allow you to listen to period music. The museum also highlights Bologna's role as a center of music education, with the oldest university music department in the world. Temporary exhibitions and concerts are held regularly.

Don't miss

• The 'Rossini Room' with original manuscripts of his operas, including 'The Barber of Seville'.
• The collection of historic keyboard instruments, such as a 17th-century harpsichord by Girolamo Zenti.
• Mozart's autograph score of 'Exsultate, jubilate' (K. 165).
• The frescoed Salone delle Feste, used for concerts and events.
• Interactive listening stations where you can hear recordings of the instruments on display.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica

Cheapest way inBologna Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide4.6★ · 159 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$8 per personSee dates →Most bookedBologna Food Tour by Taste Bologna: Intimate Group (Max 10)4.9★ · 449 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$134 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleHistoric Center Walking Tour in Bologna5★ · 12 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$29 per personSee dates →

Getting there