Collezione Salce: Italy's Largest Poster Collection Opens Museum in Treviso

Marta Mazza, director of the Collezione Salce, discusses the museum's new permanent home in Treviso, housing 45,000 posters—the largest collection of its kind in Italy. The collection, donated by Nando Salce in 1962, spans from his acquisitions (25,000 pieces) to later additions. After decades of temporary exhibitions, the museum opened in May 2017 in a restored building with an adjacent church, funded by over €6 million in public money. The first exhibition on the Belle Époque attracted 6,500 visitors in four months despite limited hours. The current show, 'Tra le due guerre,' covers the interwar period. Mazza highlights the collection's interdisciplinary value, with many posters previously unseen. Posters are displayed without glass, using magnets, and limited to 20 visitors per slot for conservation. The online database of all 25,000 historical posters is searchable by keyword, serving researchers and publishers. Future plans include a monograph on Federico Seneca and a database of inks and papers. The city of Treviso has not contributed financially, preferring to invest in blockbuster shows like a forthcoming Rodin exhibition.