Lucca Comics Museum "Fumetti" To Be Established In A Tobacco Factory

Posted in: Comics, Conventions, Events, Lucca Comics & Games, Pop Culture | Tagged: fumetti, italy, museum

Lucca Comics Museum "Fumetti" To Be Established In A Tobacco Factory

The Italian government is establishing a new permanent Lucca Comics Museum for "Fumetti" in a former tobacco factory

Published Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:57:15 -0500
by Rich Johnston
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Article Summary

• Lucca Comics Museum is officially moving forward, with Italy backing a permanent home for fumetti in Lucca.
• The new Lucca Comics Museum will be based in Lucca’s former tobacco factory, a fittingly ironic site for fumetti.
• A new foundation must be created by March 31, 2027 to run the Lucca Comics Museum and its cultural programs.
• The Lucca Comics Museum will celebrate comics, illustration, games, animation and interactive art year-round.

The Italian word for comics is "fumetti", named after the speech balloons that appear from characters' mouths, which are interpreted as resembling clouds of tobacco smoke. Which is why the news about a new Comics Museum for Lucca was rather ironic.

Because while the Frank Miller and Peach Momoko signing queues were still filling the streets of Lucca this week for Lucca Comics & Games' 60th anniversary, something more permanent was being signed upstairs at Palazzo Guinigi, and the country's government were involved. Italy's Culture Minister, Tuscany's regional president and Lucca mayor put their names to an agreement that creates the legal framework for a permanent Museo del Fumetto, a museum dedicated to comics, illustration, games, animation and interactive work. The deal commits the three institutions to establish the Fondazione Expo Comics Museum by the 31st of March 2027. That foundation will then run the museum and related cultural activities.

And the location? The former tobacco factory in Lucca. Fumetti from the fumes… was the location really chosen because of the potential wordplay? Very, very possibly. In the meantime, activities will begin in spaces at Palazzo Guinigi that already host the Lucca Legacy – A Comics and Games Story exhibition, open until the 30th of September 2027.

Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli's statement, released by the Ministry of Culture, reads: "Comics are an original language, born from the encounter between word and image, and they are a true part of our artistic tradition. They deserve to be studied, preserved, promoted, and passed on to future generations. A museum dedicated to these expressions can become a privileged space for cultural education and guide new audiences in discovering the value of contemporary creativity."

President of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, added, "Sixty years of comics history and culture have made Lucca Comics & Games the most important event in the world for this sector. Today, in the Guinigi Tower, a symbol of Lucca's identity and freedom, this heritage finds a permanent home. 365 days a year, residents and tourists drawn by the city's vibrant culture will be able to discover the evolution of creativity: what was expressed in a fresco or canvas in the Renaissance takes shape today in a panel or a drawing. This place will help everyone understand the extraordinary impact Lucca has had and continues to have on these art forms. I am truly happy to seal this vision today with the signing of the promotion agreement."

Mayor of Lucca, Mario Pardini, said, "Today, we not only celebrate the past with due gratitude to those who paved the way that led us here, but we also look to the future, and what better way to celebrate this important sixtieth anniversary? The signing of this agreement marks a milestone for the entire community. After years of collaborative work, today the Ministry, the Region, and the Municipality are committing to establishing the foundation that will accompany us. "The best things are born from sharing. I thank the Ministry and the Region for the synergy achieved on this important project, which was long-awaited and requested by the city. From here, today, we celebrate the past, building the future."

Emanuele Vietina, Director of Lucca Comics & Games and Member of the Technical Scientific Committee for the project, said: "In the city that for 60 years has been the home of creativity in all its forms, today the Lucca Comics Museum project takes a decisive step towards soon becoming a reality. The festival's legacy thus takes a leading role in the international cultural landscape: that legacy that is celebrated on this sixtieth anniversary, which sees the signing of the agreement, and that ensures that the event evolves and renews itself every year, always remaining true to itself."

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