Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza 

International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza (MIC) holds the most important ceramic collection in the world and serves as an international cultural center. The museum’s heritage includes over 60,000 objects dating from 4000 BC to the present day. Since 1938, it has organized the prestigious Faenza Prize every two years, dedicated to contemporary ceramic art. In the same cycle, it also hosts Argillà Italy, an international market exhibition of artistic crafts. The institution maintains a specialized library as well as photographic and documentary archives. The library contains approximately 68,000 publications devoted to ceramics and art. The collections also include a photo archive documenting works from public and private collections worldwide. The archive holds around 70,000 digital images along with historical slides and prints. These materials support research, conservation, restoration, and exhibition planning. The museum’s storage areas are divided into four sections according to the origin, chronology, technology, and style of the ceramics. They also contain fragments recovered from the ruins after the museum was bombed in 1944. These deposits form a “museum within a museum,” accessible to researchers, conservators, and artists. MIC conducts numerous educational workshops for schools, universities, and research centers. It also organizes inclusive activities for seniors, people with disabilities, migrants, and socially vulnerable groups. The museum houses a specialized ceramic restoration laboratory. It deals with the conservation of objects ranging from terracotta to porcelain, including both archaeological and collection pieces. The laboratory also carries out commissioned work for public institutions and provides professional training. The staff has over 40 years of experience in ceramic restoration and collaborates with the University of Bologna. MIC’s activities focus on three core areas: conservation, collection management, and communication and education. The museum also has extensive experience in international projects and in effectively managing EU-funded programs.