CSAC - Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione

CSAC, the Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione at the University of Parma, preserves a major archive of modern visual and design culture. Founded by Arturo Carlo Quintavalle in 1968, it holds materials relating to photography, art, architecture, design, fashion and graphics at the former Cistercian Abbey of Valserena.

Why it matters

CSAC collects original materials and supports their study through catalogues and exhibitions. Its holdings encompass about twelve million items across visual and design culture. Since 2007, the institution has been based in the medieval abbey, bringing a research archive into dialogue with its historic setting.

What to notice

The CSAC Museum presents selections drawn from the archive rather than a single fixed collection display. Its holdings encompass photographs, architectural drawings, design objects, fashion, graphics and documentation of performance. The abbey's brick arcades and cloister provide a historic frame for these modern materials.

Context and history

Quintavalle founded the centre in 1968, at a time when photography and design were still establishing their place in academic study. CSAC gathered material often overlooked by traditional art collections and developed catalogues and exhibitions to make it accessible to researchers and the public. The move to Valserena in 2007 and the opening of the museum in 2015 expanded the institution's role as a research archive and cultural centre. It now operates within the University of Parma's museum system.