Museo del Giocattolo

The Toy Museum of Bra preserves a collection assembled by antique dealer Michele Chiesa and his son Giovanni. Its toys document changing forms of play, craftsmanship and childhood across generations.

Why it matters

The collection treats toys as evidence of social history rather than as rare objects alone. Industrial and handcrafted toys sit alongside humble, family-made playthings, preserving materials that might otherwise have disappeared from the record of everyday life.

What to notice

The collection includes bisque and Lenci dolls, toy soldiers, tin vehicles, pedal cars, model aircraft, table games, puppet theatres and historical comics. A Giordani Ferrari pedal car from 1957 illustrates how children's toys echoed contemporary automotive culture.

Context and history

Michele Chiesa assembled the collection over more than thirty years with the help of his son Giovanni. Their approach included both industrially produced toys and popular, homemade examples. The collection was entrusted to the Municipality of Bra and installed in the G. Arpino cultural centre in 2007 as part of the city's museum network.