Glauco Lombardi Museum

The Glauco Lombardi Museum in Parma was born from the very rich private collection of Professor Glauco Lombardi, which is constantly implemented with new acquisitions relating to the many themes proposed, among which two protagonists stand out: Napoleon Bonaparte and Maria Luigia of Habsburg. The rooms of the Museum, housed in the historic Reserve Palace, offer a journey back to the era of the French Empire, of which ample evidence remains: from the official portraits of the court painters (Lefèvre, Prud'hon, Gérard) to the prized glass and porcelain, from the swords brandished by Napoleon to the delicate letters sent by the emperor to the young bride, up to the corbeille de mariage, the refined piece of furniture that contained part of Marie Louise's trousseau, of which a sumptuous gala dress woven with silver remains . The sovereign's private life is one of the aspects that most involves the visitor: the objects on display come largely from her direct descendants, that Sanvitale family which for centuries was among the most illustrious of the Duchy. We can thus learn about Maria Luigia's passions and preferences: diaries, jewels, embroidery and watercolors made by her, but also her travel pharmacy and fishing box, are just some of the pieces that help to recompose the multifaceted personality of a figure historian who found herself at the center of the main events of her era, events that can be followed, from a privileged and intense point of view, through the eyes of a duchess.