MIC — Museo dell'Illustrazione Contemporanea

In Grottammare's historic Kursaal by the beach, a museum is devoted entirely to illustration. Original boards for Diabolik hang near drawings by Milo Manara and painted portraits by Cleto Capponi, woodcuts by Adolfo De Carolis face the newest Italian names, and temporary shows keep the rooms in motion.

Why it matters

The MIC is one of Grottammare's civic museums and is dedicated to illustration, with works extending back to the early decades of the twentieth century.

The MIC and its temporary-exhibition space, Spazio K, share the Kursaal, a seaside landmark on Piazza Kursaal.

What to notice

The permanent display is organised in five thematic sections. It includes an introductory section on the genius loci and a final section on Grottammare as represented by illustrators, including commissioned postcard projects. Other sections address portraits of show-business figures, classic Italian comics, including work by Angelo Maria Ricci, and contemporary illustration.

Works in the collection include drawings by Milo Manara, Tanino Liberatore, Bruno Bozzetto, Guido Crepax and Franco Matticchio; collages by Pablo Echaurren; illustration by Olimpia Zagnoli, Maicol & Mirco and Camilla Falsini; original boards from Diabolik, Martin Mystère and Mister No; woodcuts by Adolfo De Carolis; lithographs and drawings by Pericle Fazzini; engravings by Tullio Pericoli; and portraits by Cleto Capponi. Other names represented include Andrea Pazienza, Ale Giorgini and Emiliano Ponzi.

Context and history

The museum was refounded in 2020 in the building that had housed a Museum of Comic Illustration since 2003. The earlier collection grew from humorous-graphic exhibitions hosted by Grottammare for decades; the 2020 redesign expanded its scope from comics to contemporary illustration. The redesign was directed by Nazzareno Cicchi with architect Roberto Bua.

Grottammare counts three civic museums focused on illustration, sculpture and naïve painting. The MIC is dedicated to illustration; other collections include the Fazzini works in the Torrione della Battaglia and the Pomili collection at Il Tarpato. The Teatro dell'Arancio also contains the Ottaviani room, and Spazio K is an associated gallery.