Itinerary of the week: the Clarence Bicknell Library and Museum

The Clarence Bicknell Library and Museum was wanted by the English Clarence Bicknell, was planned in 1886 and it was the first museum of Western Liguria. Inside there is a unique big hall, used by the Library as a reading hall with the depots of the Institute.

It keeps over 85,000 books and 1,300 magazines of archeology, local history and art. In addition there are: mouldings, drawings, pictures, which represent over 14,000 prehistoric graffitos discovered by Bicknell on Mount Bego; archeological recoveries of the 2nd - 3rd century A. D.; a collection of pictures and an important one of butterflies of the 19th century.

In the garden of the Museum there are some paving-stones of a Roman road from Albintimilium and an amazing Ficus Magnolioides grows here. Recently, the Institute received an important collection (oil paintings, water-colours and sketches) by the painter Pompeo Mariani (Monza 1857 - Bordighera 1927), set in the nearby Nino Lamboglia Centre.

General info

International Institute of Ligurian Studies. Office hours: Mon - Fri: 8.30am - 1.00pm and 2.00pm - 5.30pm. Library: Mon - Fri: 9.30am - 1.00pm and 1.30pm - 4.45pm. The institute is closed during the week of the Virgin Mary's Assumption.