The Doll Museum in the Rocca of Angera was founded in 1988 by the wish of Princess Bona Borromeo Arese, and displays over a thousand dolls made between the 18th century and the present day.
The dolls, which are displayed inside furnished dolls’ houses and miniature shops, are made of all kinds of material, including wood, wax, papier-mâché, china and cloth.
In addition to the wealth of period and contemporary dolls on display, which places the Museum among the most important in Europe in this sector, there is also a section devoted to toys from non-European cultures as well as a collection of 19th century French and German automatons from the collection of the Petit Musée du Costume of Tours.
Highlights of the museum are “The Collector’s Room”, a reconstruction of a classic French salon, full of curios and rare pieces, paintings and sculptures, and the section illustrating children’s fashion as it evolved up to the middle of last century.
Open from 9.00 to 17.30 (from 20 March to 17 October 2010).