Vespa Museum in Pontedera, Italy

Love or loathe them, you still have to admit that the Vespa scooter is about as Italian as pasta.

While you might not be aware of this, Piaggio is the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world. But it was the world renown Vespa which put the company on the map.

First produced in 1946, just after the second world war, one could say that the Vespa got Italians mobile again after the ravages of the war.

The Vespa – ‘wasp’ in English, was also the first globally successful scooter. Even Hollywood greats, such as Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, and tough guy cowboy, John Wayne were Vespa fans. These zippy little scooters were ideal for dealing with potholed post war Italian roads, and obviously very convenient for whizzing around film sets too.

Should you like to find out a little more about this iconic Italian scooter, you might like to know that there is a Vespa Scooter Museum in Italy, where, amongst other things, you will find a bazooka scooter, world record breaking high-speed scooters, and even a flying scooter – which was used in the 1967 Dick Smart 2007 spoof spy film.

Here is a very nice YouTube video tour of the Vespa museum which was taken in 2000.

Vespa Scooter Museum in Italy

Stop reading, start speaking

Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzvW8XrRK-c[/youtube]

Vespa scooter aficionado’s on holiday in Italy might like to whiz on over to the Vespa museum, better known officially as the MuseoPiaggio, which can be found in Pontedera in Northwest Tuscany, a 15-minute drive from Pisa and some 35 minutes from Florence. Entrance is free.

The Piaggio Museum Opening Hours

Tuesday to Saturday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Free entry
Call these numbers for further information:
+39 0587 27.17.1
+39 0587 29.00.57

Opening hours for exhibitions and other events are subject to change.
Please call the Museum for information.

For more information, visit the MuseoPiaggio website. The site is in English.

Chad

+Alex Roe is from the UK, but has lived and worked in Milan, Italy, for many years. Alex has been interviewed by the BBC on Italy issues. He tweets news and information about Italy to over 37,000 Twitter followers via @newsfromitaly on Twitter.

Most Popular

Living With An Italian Legend

It has always fascinated me how early people explained natural phenomena, and so gave birth to many legends

Spread Beer on Your Toast

This could be the news beer lovers around the world have been waiting for – spreadable beer! Yes,

Where is Italy Going?

This Italy resident has a sneaking suspicion that Italy is entering a period of transition. Mario Monti, who

Saving Italy

The combination of Italy’s flagging economy combined with the inactivity of the Berlusconi government in recent years had

Categories

Finley, the Lego Band

The music of Rock quartet Finley was chosen by Lego, maker of toy building bricks, to be their official band for 2013. Formed in Legnano, a town

Berlusconi Tightens His Grip

Italy’s regional election results are in. Silvio Berlusconi and his ally, Umberto Bossi have cause for celebration. Italy’s right led by inimitable Mr Media Berlusconi has claimed a victory which in times of hardship, and in the face of endless sleaze and corruption scandals, has surprised some in Italy.

Damage Caused by the Modena Area Earthquakes

What’s Behind the Modena Area Earthquakes?

The area around Modena and Mantua in Italy has been hit my many hundreds of earth tremors and several sizable earthquakes in recent weeks. Although

The Abruzzo Earthquake – An Expat’s Story

Earthquakes are frightening events, which the owners of the Casa del Amorino apartment down in Introdacqua, near Sulmona, know something about. Indeed, they found themselves right in the middle of the earthquake which shook a substantial section of the Abruzzo region in Italy on the 6 April, 2009, leaving the regional capital l’Aqulia badly damaged and many thousands homeless.