MILAN (Web Desk) – The latest museum to dump knowledge on Italy is the Museo Della Merda, a facility dedicated to the study of human and animal feces.
The Museo Della Merda, which roughly translates to “Museum of Poop,” although the intended wording is somewhat more profane, describes itself as an “agency for change” that “houses documents and information on excrement in culture, technology and history.”
The poo-seum aims to show “what a useful and living substance crap really is.” Headquartered in the Piacenza province hamlet of Castelbosco, it held a launch event the other day at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.
The exhibit tracks the history of excrement and seeks to educate visitors on the ways poo is put to good use around the world.
“Few phenomena are as rich in material and conceptual complexity as the cultural history of [excrement],” the museum said.
The museum was founded by Gianantonio Locatelli, a Castelbosco farmer who wanted to put the 220,000 pounds of excrement created by his animals each day to good use.
Museum tours can be arranged for Saturdays and Sundays between May and August.