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History

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Inaugurated on July 6th 2007 as part of the XXIV International Meeting, the structure, dedicated to the engineer Dante Giacosa, the creator of the Fiat Nuova 500, is naturally aimed at enthusiasts of the small great car, but is accessible to a much wider and more heterogeneous public, eager to learn a slice of the history of Italy which, thanks to the 500, finally got on four wheels and traveled towards modernity.

The Museum was designed by Roberto Barbera and Silvano Gagliolo; the works were supervised by Alberto Calzavara, supported in the installation phase by his Genoese partner Ugo Elio Giacobbe, passionate about automobile museums and appointed Curator of the “Dante Giacosa”.

Exhibitions, road safety and other activities

Starting from its second year of life, the Museum inaugurates the series of international and hosts conferences, conventions, various meetings. In particular, in 2011 the cycle takes place “Let's meet at the Museum”, which ranged from the themes of solidarity to travel (in 500 and not) through the presentation of books and the fight against gender violence. In 2019 the conference took place “The historic 500 tells its story to the press”, in collaboration with the Order of Journalists of Liguria and valid for continuing professional training. Speaking of exhibitions, the collective painting exhibitions allow the Museum to enrich itself with numerous artwork, not to mention those that come as donations from motoring art professionals or simple enthusiasts who wanted to arm themselves with brushes and spatulas and propose their personal vision of the beloved quintet. The Museum has become one of the focal points of the Day of Road Safety, an initiative aimed at schools, carried out in collaboration with the Police and numerous local bodies and associations. Soon, from a single day it became an entire week of meetings with children and teachers and the establishment of the Crescere Sicuri award, given to those who have distinguished themselves in pursuing these important issues. After the stop caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the goal is to resume with this event that is in the very DNA of the “Dante Giacosa”.

The new room and the panel with the "500 galaxy"

In 2017 the Museum expands, with a new large room which can accommodate 4 cars and features numerous display cases full of objects of all kinds (from spare parts to aftermarket accessories, from vintage gadgets to wedding favors and invitations, naturally 500-themed). Also worth mentioning is the curator's office, with a beautiful desk made with the front part of a XNUMX, and a "window" with the shape of the twin-cylinder, which recalls the one overlooking the first room.
Another element that characterizes the new space is the enormous panel (5 metres long) which features figurines of all the 500s and derivatives, including the numerous re-elaborations created by the great coachbuilders of the time, identified and masterfully represented by the designer Jean-Jacques De Galkowsky and the result of research carried out by the technical commissioner Enrico Bo and the curator of the Museum Ugo Elio Giacobbe with the collaboration of Marco Palermo.
In 2022 the “Dante Giacosa” ideally “moved” to the MAUTO in Turin for the prestigious exhibition "65 years of a legend – Fiat 500: icon of Made in Italy", which was inaugurated on July 4th on the occasion of the World Day of the Historic Fiat 500.
In 2023 he was appointed vice-conservative Silvio Bertolotto, a great enthusiast and expert in vintage cars (also for having worked for a long time in the spare parts sector), immediately committed to optimising the display of the numerous objects that the Museum continues to receive as donations.
Two “ have been addedtotem” to enjoy multimedia content (one at the entrance and one in the new room). QR codes have also been positioned to allow visitors to access audioguide in Italian, English and French. The documentary on the history of the 500 and the Club, screened in the large room, is subtitled in English, French and German.
The “Dante Giacosa” is a member of the Network of Museums of the Province of Savona and ASI Museums Road.

Visit to the Garlenda Nursery School

Thanks to their physical proximity (only a few metres of climbing separates them) and a relationship that has been consolidated for years (after all, the children of the members of the Club's staff themselves

Carlo Giuliani and Roberto Valentini

A stop at the Museum for the director of "La Manovella", Roberto Valentini

This morning, the "Dante Giacosa" 500 Multimedia Museum in Garlenda welcomed a special visitor: Roberto Valentini, editor of the magazine La Manovella, the official organ of the ASI. Valentini, who left from Turin,

Happy Easter 2026

Easter-May 1st closures

In wishing all Cinquecento enthusiasts and not only a Happy Easter 2026, we remind you that the offices of the Fiat 500 Club Italia and the Multimedia Museum of the 500 “Dante Giacosa di

Growing Safely 2026 at the 500 Museum

Road Safety: Two Days at the Museum

by Stefania PonzoneOver the last three years, the 500 Museum has created a special bond with the “Artemisia Gentileschi” Middle School of Leca d'Albenga, which has returned

Visit to the Proloco of Ceriale

The Proloco of Ceriale visits

Last Tuesday, the Ceriale Proloco, represented by Livia Boano, Piera Gallino, and Rosalba Venturino, welcomed visitors. They were welcomed by Silvio Bertolotto and Stefania Ponzone (vice curator and secretary of the "Dante Giacosa"),

50th Anniversary of the Garlenda Proloco at the Museum

The Club celebrates 50 years of Proloco Garlenda

by Stefania Ponzone Special morning at the “Dante Giacosa” to celebrate, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Proloco of Garlenda, the work of all those who, over the course of this half century,