Museo Della Vespa

THE MYTHICAL SCOOTER IN A UNIQUE MUSEUM

Having given up the role of purebred bomber, Marco Romiti wore those of the collector and created the cave of wonders in the cellar of an ancient building in the historic center of Pollenza.

All three are wonderful: the historic center, the palace and the cave of wonders which is none other than the Vespa museum, the famous Piaggio scooter. The museum includes a historical archive on the Piaggio and on the most famous product of the Pontedera group: the Vespa.

There are obviously many models on display: among the rarest the 98 cc first series from 1946, the Vespa Sei Giorni (1951), Acma militare, the Vespa 400 (the only car produced by Piaggio).

The uniqueness of the Romiti museum, however, derives from the collection of material from the Vespa Club of Italy and all the material that links the Vespa to the cinema. Collected, in this way, photographs, cups, trophies, plaques of the events that tell the history of our country, but also film posters and calendars, very rare 8 mm on the rallies, the objects that testify that merchandising is not an invention of now, even children's games, however, linked to the imagination of the scooter.

The collector, together with his wife Mariella, began collecting the material in 1982 by purchasing the first Vespa sold in the Province of Macerata, one of the first ever in Italy given the chassis number. Starting with an important piece was fortunate because the passion flared up immediately, then gradually they put all the material together, focusing attention on the activities of the Vespa clubs in Italy.

The Vespa club was the brand club with the most members in the world and played a fundamental role in establishing the brand. One of the most active, driven by the passion of Count Leopardi, was that of Ancona but everyone did their utmost to carry out the most extravagant feats but above all, around their object of love, they built friendships and relationships to last and not to be affected by differences. Even now, the Club officially dissolved in the seventies, friendship and cordiality was found in them so much so that many gave the material free of charge for the pleasure of seeing the museum grow.

The Vespa as a religion: there are many anecdotes that the collector knows. In 1952 the Vespa enthusiasts promised to march all together when Trieste would become Italian again: and the promise was kept in 1954 (the plaque commemorating the event is on display). In 1957, over 500 women were part of the Girls on Vespa Club: a sign of emancipation in a world that was changing but which had allowed them to vote for just a few years. And so on, the history of the Vespa is closely linked to our time: just look at the calendars and illustrations (and, in some ways, the advertisements) in the newspapers of the time.

Romiti, now, in addition to the satisfaction with the result achieved, has a regret: that a lot of material is taking the road to the East where the Vespa is a real cult.

In this way, a patrimony is lost which can hardly be reacquired.

The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer. However, reservations are recommended at any time of the year by calling the Municipality's Culture and Tourism Service directly (tel. 0733/548705).

So many volumes have been written on the Vespa, on its success, on the importance it had in the construction of a collective imagination in our country that it is improvised to try to talk about it in a few lines. On leaving the Romiti museum, however, there remains a feeling that the Vespa conveys: the freedom to design and build a future where the individual has his own imagination as a limit. Come on Vespa, then, we still have many kilometers to go.