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The Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca (Smerillo)

The Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca (Smerillo)

Type
Museum or art gallery
Address
Via NobiliSmerillo (FM)

Source: site database.

The Museo dei Fossili e dei Minerali (Museum of Fossils and Minerals) and the Pinacoteca d'Arte Contemporanea (Contemporary Art Gallery) of Smerillo are housed in the village's former school building, owned by the municipality. Smerillo stands at 806 m above sea level, on a rocky spur halfway between the Sibillini Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, in the Fermo area. The same building also houses the Museo Pinacoteca dell'Arte dei Bambini (Children's Art Museum).

The museum route traces the geological history of Italy. It starts with the trilobite, one of the oldest animals in Italy, and ends with the Strombus bubonius shells from Puglia. Along the way it passes through the collection of local fossils.

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On the map

Points from the site database. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors · Protomaps.

History of the Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca

The fossil museum is set up in Smerillo's former elementary school, now a museum hub, and is part of the Rete Museale dei Sibillini (Sibillini Museum Network). The Museo Pinacoteca dell'Arte dei Bambini was founded on the theme "Il Bambino e la Pace" (The Child and Peace) and has run educational initiatives since 1999.

The fossils on display show the marine origin of these rocks. Those found in Smerillo are remains of shells and crustaceans, and they prove that the rocks, now many kilometers from the sea, formed right there.

What to see at the Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca in Smerillo

The most important part is the collection of local fossils from the Lower Pliocene. Next to it is an educational display of Italian fossils, ranging from the Paleozoic to the Neozoic. One room is dedicated to minerals and rocks. The color and fluorescence of some minerals are highlighted by a Wood's lamp, and there is also the mineral hardness scale, from graphite to diamond.

The Pinacoteca d'Arte Contemporanea holds works donated by contemporary artists.

How to visit the Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca

The museum offers guided tours and a bookshop. For visitors with visual impairments there is a sensory route and a tactile guide with text in Braille. A guided tour with an Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter is available on reservation.

Opening days and hours change during the year, so they are worth checking in advance. Smerillo can be visited in any month of the year.

Where the Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca are located

The museums are in the town center of Smerillo, a municipality in the province of Fermo, in Le Marche. The village stands on a rocky ridge, at more than 800 m above sea level.

Near the Museo dei Fossili and the Pinacoteca in Smerillo

In Smerillo you can see the Fessa, a tall, narrow crack in the sandstone rock, rich in Pliocene fossils. Only one person at a time can pass through it. A nature trail starts from the village's main viewpoint, reached by passing under an arch.

In the village are the medieval remains of the Castrum Smerilli and the medieval church of Santa Caterina. Other museums in the area are listed on the page on museums in the Sibillini Mountains.

Frequently asked questions

What can you see in the Smerillo fossil museum?

The Museo dei Fossili in Smerillo has a collection of local fossils from the Lower Pliocene. There is also a room of minerals and rocks and a display of Italian fossils, from the Paleozoic to the Neozoic. The route starts with the trilobite and ends with the Strombus bubonius from Puglia. Some minerals are lit with a Wood's lamp to show their fluorescence.

Is the Smerillo museum accessible to people with visual impairments?

Yes. The museum has a sensory route for people with visual impairments and a tactile guide with text in Braille. The project that created them is called "Il museo di tutti e per tutti" (A museum of everyone and for everyone). A guided tour with an Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter is also available, to be requested in advance.

What is the Fessa in Smerillo?

The Fessa is a tall, very narrow crack in the sandstone rock. Only one person at a time can pass through it. It shows layers of sandstone and sandy conglomerates rich in Pliocene fossils. A nature trail starts from the main viewpoint of the village and leads to the Fessa, among other destinations.

Are there other museums in the same building as the fossil museum?

Yes. The same building houses the Pinacoteca d'Arte Contemporanea and the Museo Pinacoteca dell'Arte dei Bambini. The Pinacoteca holds works donated by contemporary artists. The Children's Art Museum is dedicated to the theme "Il Bambino e la Pace" (The Child and Peace) and has organized educational initiatives since 1999.

Nearby

What to see nearby

Where to eat

Straight-line distances.