san colombano - tagliavini collection

I've read many enthusiastic reviews, and, as a keyboard musician, was expecting a lot.However, despite the relatively big number of instruments, there is not much variety. Many spinets, many harpsichords. Some rare items too, like the harpsichord/piano bundle, or the glass piano. There is a Viennese action piano available, but you can't see the mechanism.Overall, a dark place with no knowledgeable staff around. The only person there didn't want to go into many details, he would just point to different instruments with angry face. We got an impression that we were disturbing something, and weren't welcome (after paying a high admission price).Also, it's kinda sad seeing instruments that should produce sound and life, being all covered with plastic protectors, so nobody can play'em. It's like seeing stuffed dead animals instead of going to the Zoo....

Tagliavini's great harpsichord, clavichord, spinet, and piano collection, with instruments from the 1580s into the 20th century, is beautifully curated and exhibited. There are also some mechanical instruments, and a small exhibit of folk instruments. The main hall is the nave of the former church of San Colombano, but instruments are also in other spaces, including the beautifully frescoed oratory of the confraternity of he Madonna dell'Orazione, done by painters associated with the Carracci. In the crypt one can see a rare fresco of the Crucifixion from the 13th century, whose connection to Byzantine painting leaps off the wall. Open Tues. through Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. You can buy a ticket just for the collection and the spaces that house it, or also one that covers the Palazzo Peopli, Palazzo Fava, Santa Maria della Vita and the Museum of the History of Bologna.

San Colombano - Tagliavini Collection | BolognamagazineSan Colombano is a church complex comprising a range of buildings aggregated over the centu ries starting from the VII cen tury. Recent restoration works is also going their

The visit to this little jewel of a museum was not on our priority list, but I am so glad we went! An immense collection of old and ancient instruments, mostly but not exclusively spinets, harpsichords and pianos have found a beautiful home in this former church. The audio guide (free with the entry ticket) was not offered automatically, so do ask when you go. It is really worth it to get a flavour of the instruments - and it also offers information on the church architecture and art. We particularly liked the way the collection was dispersed all through the many halls, rooms, nooks and crannies of the church, all pointed out to us by the friendly staff. Do go!

I agree with others that this is a gem of a museum. Both for mainly keyboard instruments and the frescoes. Get the audio guide - you can hear short pieces played on about 10 of the instruments on it -really brings it alive. Concerts are often on Sunday evenings - popular - book ahead. At first you think its just the main part of the church - but there are 2 main additional rooms and they make use of every bit of corridor space. Museum and toilets - allow about an hour with audio guide and if you're interested in school of Carraci frescoes. Excavation and restoration work going on in crypt.

What a beautiful collection of antique instruments. Upon entering this museum, I was so impressed with the pianos, harpsichords and other instruments that grace a large room- so enchantingThe guides were very nice as we're those in the other state museums (Museo civico) that we visited.The only drawback is the lack of air condoning and no air circulation

A must for music lovers. this small but impressive collection of antique musical instruments is well\ taken care of and the curator is usually on hand to either play one of the instruments or answer questions.

I hadn't intended to visit this museum but since it's part of the Bologna Welcome Card (saving 10 euros!) and it was close to the Museo Civico Medievale which I really wanted to see and finally because TA reviewers loved it, I decided to go. Now I'm not that keen on musical instruments but the promise of frescoes got me in the door and I was not disappointed! This was my favorite of 7 museums that I saw and if you love art/frescoes don't miss it! The oratory of San Colombano was so beautiful; painted nearly floor to ceiling with frescoes, that I hardly noticed the pianos in the center. I didn't purchase the audio guide because they are detailed signs in Italian and English, making the rooms and collection very enjoyable. Besides the frescoes, the pianos were beautiful but for me this museum is all about the art on the walls! Don't miss it. I found that the Bologna Welcome card was a very good deal. I had a two hour very pleasant, walking tour (13 euros without the card or it's included) and admission to all the museums that I could fit in 48 hours for just 20 euros, so it really pays to figure out what you want to see before setting off to a museum.

A marvellous museum for anyone with an interest in music. A fascinating and beautifully displayed collection of early keyboard instruments and a few wind unstruments. We missed out on a concert where some are actually played but anyone planning a visit should check out concert dates first.. The whole museum is in a beautifully restored old church complete with a recently discovered crypt where we watched a 13th century fresco being painstakingly restored. And on top of a very low entry fee we were given e beautiful guide to the museum in English.

With a local we visited this gem of a museum with harpsichords from 15th century onwards to the pianoforte, complete with early organs.Aside of the exhibits and the knowledgeable staff you can enjoy a concert on the early instruments if you are lucky enough to be there when they are playing.

This is a lesser known gem -- really, double gem -- in Bologna's historical center. It consists of the restored Oratorio of San Colombano which now houses the Tagliavini collection of historical musical instruments. The instruments are interesting, with particular emphasis on keyboard instruments. The Oratorio itself, however, was of most interest to us. There are wonderful frescoes, nicely restored; a room in the upper level which includes works by most of the leading 18th century Bolognese painters. There is a 13th century fresco of Christ's crucifixion that is available for viewing while it continues to be restored. Well worth the visit.

If you turn left into Via Manzoni after visiting Palazzo Fava, behind the Hotel Baglioni (recently renamed the Grand Hotel Majestic, facing the Cathedral of S. Pietro in Via Indipendenza), it is easy to get to San Colombano, a church that is part of the Genus Bononiae series of museums. We had the good fortune not only to visit the collection, but also to get tickets from the ticket office for a concert here (on the Saturday before). The tickets are called coupons because admission is free of charge but if you don’t show up in good time before the concert your place is allocated to those waiting at the door. At the concert we attended, the instruments were played by Maestro Tagliavini, the professor of music who dedicated 50 years of his life to putting together this wonderful collection of 80 historic musical instruments. The ancient church of San Colombano has been painstakingly restored to provide a fitting showcase for these priceless instruments, that include organs, an early eighteenth-century folding harpsichord, an Italian-style bentside spinet, two square pianos, a half-sloping console piano and no less than three grand pianos. Some of the instruments are embellished with pastoral scenes and the overall effect is enchanting. The Oratory on the first floor is an interesting part of the experience and visitors would do well to allow time also for this part of the San Colombano complex. The ground floor is step-free, and visitors using a wheelchair are admitted through a separate door at the front of the building by means of a short ramp. Then there is small lift up to the first floor, where there are steps in various places, so unlike the ground floor, the first floor is not step-free. In addition there is a thirteenth-century crypt with a wall painting that came to light during the restoration work.San Colombano is only one minute on foot from Palazzo Fava: just turn left as you come out of the palazzo and walk straight on for about 200 metres and on the right you will come to the imposing façade of the church, with an ornate portico on the ground floor. The entrance is just past the portico, to the right. On the upper part of the façade the rather curious bronze sign “Casa del Mutilato” is a reminder of the fact that after the First World War the first-floor oratory housed an association of ex-servicemen, though this meant they had to make their way up a flight of stairs. Then the building fell into disrepair. After years of neglect, San Colombano has now been restored to its former glory, providing visitors with a unique experience, that is made all the more agreeable by the kindness and helpfulness of the museum staff. Guided tours are held at regular intervals but all the exhibits are carefully labelled in English and Italian so you can still enjoy the experience even without a guide. Admission is free of charge.Opening hours: 10-13, 15-19, from Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays. Admission free. Address: Via Parigi 5, Bologna. Tel.: 051 19936366. E-mail: sancolombano@genusbononiae.itMore detailshttp://www.genusbononiae.it/index.php?pag=27

The Tagliavini collection of historical instruments is housed in an interesting collection of very old buildings. Some of these instruments date back to the 16th century and many are regularly played. Some of the older keyboard instruments have beautiful painted decoration.When we visited, someone was singing and accompanying themselves on a harpsichord, making our visit very special. There is also an interesting crypt to visit with a 13th century wall painting uncovered during restoration work. If you speak some Italian, the staff are very friendly and like to have a chat about the museum. Entry is free.

... perché è uno dei musei più belli che ho visto recentemente in Italia.Location splendida. Allestimento di garbo. Anche se non si è specialisti o cultori della musica e delle tastiere è un museo affascinante, inserito in una ex chiesa sconsacrata e con ampio corredo multimediale. Non grandissimo, si visita in meno di un'ora, ma vale anche una sosta di due ore. Ho portato anche i miei figli piccoli e si sono divertiti. Ogni strumento può essere ascoltato nella sua sonorità grazie a delle cuffie. Se questa fosse la media dei musei italiani, indipendentemente dalla materia, avremmo il doppio dei turisti....

Vale muito a pena para curiosos e amantes da música. O oratório promove muitos concertos, principalmente de música antiga, gratuitamente, acompanhe a programação no site.