Museum of Old Radios

In Bellano, walking through the old village, you can stumble upon an unexpected little gem: the Ca di Radio Vecc Museum. In dialect it means the house of old radios.
It is a small museum run with infinite passion by Mr Gianpaolo and his wife Rina. For over 50 years the couple has been collecting, restoring and preserving unique and original pieces. You may even happen to hear them in operation, the emotion of the voice of a 1930s radio, with its warm and velvety sound, is truly unique!

There is no ticket, it is just like entering their home. You will be welcomed and told anecdotes and curiosities. But please, leave a free donation. 

One of the oldest pieces is a Marconi Fono from 1923, but each radio really seems to be a small masterpiece: many were handcrafted in every little detail. 
Also fascinating are the rural radios used in the Fascist period to allow children to listen to the news, or, a littoral, a very rare example of a radio that the Duce had delivered to war orphans.

The comparison between European and American radios is curious: the latter initially had separate radios and speakers, while in European radios the speaker was internal. American models were also finely crafted, the wooden exteriors were made by craftsmen who inlaid and made everything by hand, nothing was printed.

For brand lovers, in the 1960s radios were produced depicting Coca Cola, the Cynar bottle or Gyllette shaving foam!
Delicious is the car radio mounted on the Vespetta in Roman Holiday.

Before concluding a few more goodies, Fleming's diode, Volta's battery, a galena radio built in the Mauthausen concentration camp, some television microphones and an early 19th century power generator.
A highly recommended visit!