MEI – National Museum of Italian Emigration: a journey into the heart of Italian identity

The MEI – National Museum of Italian Emigration is a unique cultural institution and research center dedicated to telling one of the most significant and far-reaching stories of the nation: emigration. Located in Genoa, in a symbolically powerful site such as the Commenda di San Giovanni di Pré, the museum is not just a collection of objects, but an immersive experience that allows visitors to understand the motivations, routes, and consequences of the vast exodus that shaped Italian identity and societies around the world.

The location: a place of departure and hope

The choice of location is no coincidence. The Commenda di San Giovanni di Pré—an ancient hospital and shelter for pilgrims and crusaders departing from or arriving at the Port of Genoa—is the perfect symbol to narrate the story of travel. It was precisely from this harbor that millions of Italians set sail, leaving everything behind in search of a better future. The museum uses the historic space in an innovative way, integrating it with cutting-edge multimedia technologies to make the storytelling vivid and emotionally engaging.

The exhibition path: voices, faces, and stories of a people on the move

The MEI’s layout is not linear, but thematic and interactive. Its main goal is to restore dignity and complexity to the migratory phenomenon, going beyond stereotypes and giving voice to the true protagonists. Visitors are guided through different sections that explore:

• The reasons for leaving: from economic hardship to the search for freedom, the motivations that pushed people to emigrate.
• The journey: the stages of a long and often dramatic voyage, by ship or train, to faraway destinations such as America, Australia, or other European countries.
• Integration and dreams: arrival in the new world, the challenges of integration, but also success stories, the preservation of traditions, and the birth of new Italo-American, Italo-Brazilian, and other identities.
• Contemporary paths: the museum does not stop at the past but also explores more recent Italian emigration and today’s global migratory dynamics, reflecting on the cyclical nature of history.

Through audio-visual installations, original documents, historical photographs, and personal narratives, the MEI creates a strong emotional connection with visitors, who can often recognize their own family stories or simply gain a deeper understanding of such a crucial historical and social phenomenon.

A resource for research and memory

Beyond its exhibition role, the MEI functions as an important research hub on Italian emigration. It collaborates with universities and research institutes, collects testimonies, and preserves an invaluable documentary heritage. In doing so, the museum not only celebrates the past but also actively contributes to building collective memory and understanding migration as an integral part of national identity.

Visitor Information

• Address: Commenda di San Giovanni di Pré, Piazza della Commenda, 16126 Genoa (GE)
• Official Website: www.museomei.it
• Opening Hours:
  • Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  • Monday: closed
  • Note: Last admission is one hour before closing time.
• Ticket Prices:
  • Full: €10.00
  • Reduced: €8.00 (for groups of 10–25 people, over 65s, Genoa residents, and visitors holding tickets for other museums in the Genoa network)
  • Schools: €5.00
  • Free admission: for children up to 6 years old, people with disabilities and their companions, licensed tour guides, and in other specific cases.

Cover photo credits: Antonella Valerio, Google Maps