In a medieval castle in the northern Italian village of Castelbosco, there is a collection unlike any other in the world. It is not dedicated to gold, fine art, or ancient weaponry, but to a substance usually flushed away without a second thought.
Founded in 2015, this facility processes thousands of kilograms of biological waste every single day. It is the Museo Della Merda, or the Shit Museum. Here, in the province of Piacenza, agricultural refuse powers lights, heats buildings, and transforms into functional household objects.
From Dairy to Display
The museum operates in direct partnership with a working dairy farm run by Gianantonio Locatelli. His herd consists of approximately 2,500 to 3,500 cows. These animals produce 30,000 liters (7,900 US gallons) of milk every day for Grana Padano cheese production.
However, the herd also generates a massive amount of byproduct. The cows produce roughly 100,000 kilograms (220,000 pounds) of dung every 24 hours.
Rather than discarding this output, the farm utilizes it. The manure generates methane gas which powers the entire operation. It also serves as fertilizer for the fields and raw material for construction supplies like plaster and bricks. The museum exists as a direct result of this massive aggregation of cattle and their daily output.
Artifacts of Excretion
The museum resides within the castle and displays various physical items related to excrement. Visitors view a lump of fossilized dinosaur faeces, jars containing waste, and works of art inspired by biological output. The collection includes ancient Roman medicinal cures that utilized animal excrement. Live specimens appear as well, specifically a collection of dung beetles.
The exterior of the facility also underwent a change. The museum commissioned artists David Tremlett, Anne Poirier, and Patrick Poirier to paint the mechanical digesters. They turned the industrial machinery into a work of land art that mixes botanical themes with the existing landscape.
Baking the Brown Gold
In its inaugural year, the organization patented a material called Merdacotta. The name translates to “baked shit.” This substance mixes dried cow dung with Tuscan clay. The manufacturing process creates rustic, clean shapes without extra decoration.
The museum produces flowerpots, mugs, jugs, and plates from this mixture. When fired at high temperatures and glazed, these items are safe for serving food and drink.
These products made their debut at the Salone del Mobile in 2016. They garnered first prize in the Milano Design Award. The museum posits that these objects redesign the cycle of nature by turning waste into essential elements of living.
A World of Waste
The Museo Della Merda is not the only institution of its kind. The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets opened in Delhi in 1992. In the United Kingdom, the National Poo Museum at the Isle of Wight Zoo displays desiccated specimens preserved in Plexiglas.
These include waste from meerkats, lions, and human babies. In South Korea, a building shaped like a giant toilet bowl, known as Mr. Toilet House, functions as a museum designed to mimic a massive commode.
In a medieval castle in Castelbosco, Italy, lies a place dedicated to a substance usually flushed away.
The Museo Della Merda, or Shit Museum, is no joke.
It processes 100,000 kg (220,000 lbs) of cow dung daily, turning raw waste into heat, light, and high-end art…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/DB4HFJZQSL
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) November 27, 2025