Potato Museum

The Potato Museum, which opened in the territory of Budrio in 2008, houses a wide range of agricultural machines and tools dedicated to the PDO Potato of Bologna.

The museum collection, which dates back to the early 20^th century until the seventies, is divided into three sections dedicated to potato planting machines as well as digging ones, potato harvesting tools and irrigators respectively.

These machines were built by local craftsmen by recycling unused items and materials: a potato planting machine by the Giuliani family of Budrio was built by recycling bicycle wheels, grille and rubber in 1967. There is also a potato planting machine by Mr. Lanzi, a farmer from Budrio, that was powered by a motorcycle engine and a car gear level.

A potato cutting machine by Dino Mioli, which cut potatoes into two, three, four and five parts, is also a part of the museum collection.

Some machines were patented such as a potato planting machine by Checchi and Magli (1976).

Besides machines built locally, there are also German ones like a potato digging machine dating back to 1937. Old people (prisoners of war) are often affected at the sight of this machine because it recalls memories of their imprisonment and hard labour.