Museo Spada (Spada Museum), Lecce

Spada Museum, located in Lecce, offers a unique and intimate experience for visitors. Housed in the old shoe factory, Gidiuli Brothers (Fratelli Gidiuli), inside Priest Palace (Palazzo Prete), the museum is known for its Spada Collection, which showcases an extensive range of musical instruments spanning several centuries.

Unlike traditional public museums, Spada Museum offers the privilege of a house museum, where visitors can enjoy a more personal and immersive experience. This setting allows visitors to avoid being overwhelmed by large crowds and provides an opportunity to engage in discussions and exchange views on the instruments. To further enhance the experience, the landlord even offers visitors a cup of coffee, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The collection at Museo Spada comprises over 850 instruments, dating from the mid-seventeenth century to the early twentieth century. The museum also houses an important iconographic collection and a library with over two hundred scores, manuscripts, and books related to music. One section of the museum is dedicated to the composers and bands of Puglia, providing insight into their history and showcasing their musical attire.

Visitors to Spada Museum can engage with the collection through a touchscreen terminal. This interactive feature allows virtual access to selected instruments, providing descriptions, sound samples, and short films demonstrating the posture and playing techniques of musicians. The museum experience is further enhanced by audio-visual projections and sound contributions throughout the various rooms.