Vespa Museum: A Look into Italy’s Engineering History

On a recent trip to Tuscany, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a childhood fantasy land. With antique aircraft, military coaches and thousands of Vespas on display, the Piaggeo Museum was quite an eye-opener for the inner child in me. The museum, located in the town of Pontedera, was just a hop away from Pisa and made for an excellent day trip.

At the museum entrance, we were greeted by a gorgeous stainless steel vintage coach dating back to 1937. Since the invention of the combustion engine, Piaggeo has played an important role in Italy’s transportation history. Besides the famous Vespa, it produced numerous aircrafts, submarines and railway trains for the World War. Through the archives, exhibits and real-life prototypes on display, we took a walk into Piaggeo’s past. Here are some photos of the most interesting exhibits, enjoy!

An electic collection of vintage Vespas. Did you know that the Vespa was given its name because the sound of its engine and the shape of the scooter resembled a wasp (which is what the word ‘vespa’ means in Italian)?

A giant scooter towering at over 50m.

The Mythological Vespa, with a sword on its dashboard and alasbaster for its seat, was created by Mino Trafell.

One of my favorite exhibits was the travel Vespa decorated with stickers from all over the world.

   The Ape (meaning ‘bee’ in Italian), similar to the tuktuks found in India and Southeast Asia, is still being used in various parts of Italy.

A military scooter.

The prototype of a futuristic vehicle made for a sci-fi film.

One of the many black and white photos on display at the Piaggeo Museum.

*Entrance Fee to the Piaggeo Museum is free, but the 1.5-hour guided tour costs 20euros for 20 pax.

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This experience was made possible by Casa Gentili and Avventurosa, but all opinions are my own. Read more about my travels in Tuscany, Italy here or follow me on Twitter with the #TuscanyTrip hashtag.