Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello del Lario: over a century of Eagle history

The new Moto Guzzi Museum tells the story of 105 years through more than 160 motorcycles, design, technology and industrial culture, in the very place where Moto Guzzi motorcycles are still made today

In Mandello del Lario, on the shores of Lake Como, there is a place that tells more than a century of Italian history through legendary motorcycles, racing achievements, technological innovations and design. It is the Moto Guzzi Museum, completely renovated in both its spaces and displays, inside the historic factory where the motorcycles bearing the Eagle emblem have been produced since 1921. The new museum is no longer simply a collection of historic motorcycles: its exhibition route brings together industry, design, sport, technology and culture, telling the story of Moto Guzzi’s evolution alongside changes in society and the way we experience mobility.

Moto Guzzi: a story that began in Mandello del Lario in 1921

The history of Moto Guzzi officially began on 15 March 1921. The company was founded by Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, together with Giorgio’s father, the Genoese shipowner Emanuele Vittorio Parodi. At the origins of the project, however, was also a third young man, Giovanni Ravelli. Guzzi, Parodi and Ravelli had met while serving in the Italian Royal Air Force and shared a passion for engines and the dream of building motorcycles. Ravelli died in a plane crash before the project could become a reality: the Eagle with outstretched wings, destined to become Moto Guzzi’s famous emblem, was chosen also to keep his memory alive. The first motorcycle to go on sale in 1921 was the Normale. From that moment on, Moto Guzzi’s history was marked by models destined to leave their mark, such as the G.T. 500 Norge, which in 1928 made the famous journey to the Arctic Circle, and the Airone 250, which from 1939 became one of Italy’s most popular mid-sized motorcycles.

From motorcycle racing to Moto Guzzi’s great innovations

A fundamental part of the Eagle’s history is linked to motorcycle racing. Its first major victory came as early as 1921 at the Targa Florio and, until its official withdrawal from racing in 1957, Moto Guzzi achieved numerous international successes, including 14 World Championship titles and 11 Tourist Trophy victories. Research developed for racing also contributed to technological innovation. In 1950, the famous Moto Guzzi Wind Tunnel was built at the Mandello del Lario factory, a pioneering facility that made it possible to study the aerodynamics of full-scale motorcycles and riders. In the post-war years, several models became part of the collective imagination of generations of motorcyclists, from the Guzzino 65, later known as the Cardellino, to the Galletto and the Lodola. At the end of the 1960s, one of the Mandello manufacturer’s most distinctive technical features was introduced: the 90° transverse V-twin engine, which over time became a true Moto Guzzi signature. This heritage gave rise to iconic models such as the V7, V7 Special, V7 Sport, Le Mans and California, leading up to today’s motorcycles, which continue to carry the Mandello Eagle along roads all over the world.

The new Moto Guzzi Museum

Today, this long history is told through a completely renovated museum, created as part of the architectural project by Greg Lynn and included in the wider transformation of the historic Moto Guzzi factory. The architecture is not simply a setting for the collection, but becomes an integral part of the experience. Shapes, surfaces, materials and finishes are inspired by the technical and metallic language of Moto Guzzi motorcycles, creating a visual continuity between the spaces and the motorcycles on display. The museum spaces and displays have been completely redesigned to guide visitors through more than a century of research, creativity, design and industrial culture. The result is a contemporary museum in which the company’s history is in constant dialogue with its present.

Over 160 Moto Guzzi motorcycles, from the first prototype to today’s models

At the heart of the museum is a collection of over 160 meticulously restored motorcycles, selected to represent the most significant milestones in the manufacturer’s 105-year history. Among them is the G.P., the prototype built before the company was officially founded and from which the Moto Guzzi adventure began, alongside production motorcycles, racing models and creations that have marked the technological and stylistic evolution of the brand up to the present day. The collection does not simply follow a chronological sequence: the motorcycles are arranged into different themed areas that allow visitors to explore Moto Guzzi’s history through the evolution of design, technology, sport, society and changing approaches to mobility.

The Moto Guzzi Historical Archive

The museum is also home to the Moto Guzzi Historical Archive, a heritage collection documenting the company’s 105-year history through projects, photographs, drawings, documents and personal accounts. Moto Guzzi is therefore presented not only through its motorcycles, but also through everything that contributed to their creation: from designers’ ideas and technical research to communication and racing, as well as the people who worked at the Mandello del Lario factory.

A museum inside a factory that is still in operation

One of the most fascinating aspects of the new Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello del Lario is its relationship with the factory itself. This is not a former industrial plant converted into a museum after production ended: Moto Guzzi motorcycles are still made in the same place where their story began in 1921. From the museum galleries, visitors can see the new state-of-the-art automated assembly lines and get a closer look at the modern production process. The historic motorcycles on display and those currently being built are, in a sense, side by side, making the connection between past and present immediately tangible. This is perhaps what makes a visit here so special: stepping beyond the traditional museum experience and entering a place where industrial heritage and contemporary production coexist. A story that began more than a century ago on the shores of Lake Como and that continues in Mandello del Lario to this day.

Moto Guzzi Museum: opening hours and tickets

Admission to the Moto Guzzi Museum costs €12.00 for a full-price ticket. Several reduced admission rates are available:

• Full price: €12.00
• Reduced rate for groups: €10.00 – for groups of 10 to 30 people
• Individual reduced rate: €10.00 – under 19s, students, over 65s, Moto Guzzi owners and members of Moto Guzzi The Clan
• Schools: €4.00 – for schools of all levels
• Free admission – group leaders, teachers accompanying school groups, tour guides, people with disabilities and one accompanying person, children under 6 and Piaggio Group employees with a company badge

Tickets can be purchased online from the official Moto Guzzi Ticket website or directly at the museum ticket office. Online purchases are subject to a €1.50 booking fee.

Opening hours

High season – from 1 April to 30 September Wednesday to Monday: 10.00 am – 7.00 pm (ticket office closes at 6.30 pm) Tuesday: closed

Low season – from 1 October to 31 March
Thursday and Friday: 10.00 am – 5.00 pm (ticket office closes at 4.30 pm)
Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm (ticket office closes at 5.30 pm)
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: closed

Opening hours and admission prices may be subject to change. Before your visit, we recommend checking the latest information.
Visit the official website

Where is the Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello del Lario?

Address: Via Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, 63 – 23826 Mandello del Lario – Lecco

Articolo aggiornato il 14 September 2026 da eccoLecco