The museum is situated in the San Marino di Bentivoglio area, historically significant for its intensive hemp cultivation.
The collection originated from the private efforts of Dino Mengozzi, who began gathering rural tools in the 1970s.
The onsite park is designed as a 'Museum of the Landscape,' containing specific areas dedicated to the botanical history of the Po Valley.
The villa complex preserves a 'barchessa,' a typical local agricultural storage building converted for exhibition purposes.
It specifically documents the 'metayage' system, the sharecropping structure that defined the Bolognese economy for centuries.
The Museo della Civiltà Contadina is housed within the historic Villa Smeraldi, a 19th-century estate located in the Bolognese plains. It preserves the rural heritage of the Po Valley, focusing on agricultural life between the 18th and 20th centuries. The collection includes over 4,000 artifacts documenting hemp processing, cereal cultivation, and traditional craftsmanship. The museum is surrounded by a large botanical park featuring native flora and old orchard varieties. It operates as part of a foundation dedicated to maintaining historical memory through research and education. The site hosts various temporary exhibitions and events centered on folklore and sustainable agriculture.
The villa facade and the expansive historic orchard in the surrounding park.
Visit the botanical park during late spring to see the traditional fruit varieties in bloom.
Check the museum's calendar for seasonal festivals, which often feature demonstrations of traditional rural crafts.
Do not expect a high-tech modern exhibit; the charm is in the traditional, preservationist display style.
Closed on Mondays; occasionally closed on public holidays.
Respect the rural site environment; remain on marked paths within the botanical park.
