Museo Paolo Cresci per la Storia dell'Emigrazione Italiana

The Paolo Cresci Museum for the History of Italian Emigration occupies the chapel of Santa Maria della Misericordia and adjoining rooms in Lucca’s Palazzo Ducale. Its letters, diaries, photographs and other documents trace the experiences of Italians who left their homeland.

Why it matters

The collection presents emigration through both individual lives and the wider social history of Italy. Everyday documents and photographs preserve personal testimony, while the exhibition places those stories within the different historical and geographical contexts of migration.

What to notice

The exhibition follows stages of the migrant’s experience, from departure and the voyage to arrival and the search for work. Original documents and objects appear alongside photographic panels, archival images, historical footage and interviews with people who experienced emigration. Multimedia stations also let visitors explore the documentation.

Context and history

The museum is housed within the Ducal Palace in a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria della Misericordia and nearby rooms. Its collection and displays connect personal records—letters, diaries, documents and photographs—with themes of identity, memory and the formation of Italian communities abroad. The museum is part of the work of the Fondazione Paolo Cresci, which preserves and presents the history of Italian emigration.