The museum has been recently established and it is structured in four sections. The first section is dedicated to Italian and foreign shoes of the 19th and 20th centuries. The second section is dedicated to the regional shoemakers' school. The third section is dedicated to old machines. And the fourth one reconstructs the historical and sociological evolution of local shoe factories. In the first room there are shoes that belonged to famous people; in the second room there are old photos. In the section dedicated to the machines to make shoes and obsolete instruments there is an old flattening machine of 1827, weighing over 500 kg. A series of photos, documents, letters, models, books and other objects are evidence of the evolution and history of the shoe factories in the Marche region from their origins up to nowadays.
Admission free till the 5th of Sept. 2004.
From 6th Sept. E. 2,50 full price, E. 1,50 concessions for groups; free for under 14 and over 65; E. 5,00 cumulative with the Municipal Gallery
Public property open from Wednes. to Sun. 16.30-19.30 (July, August, till the 30th of Sept.)
Sant'Elpidio a Mare (Ascoli Piceno) - Palazzo Montalto-Nannerini, p.zzle Marconi - Phone 0734/810840

The small Museu d'Història del Calçat is located in one of the prettiest little squares in the old city, in an old medieval house that once belonged to the shoemakers' guild in Barcelona. Its collection includes reproductions of footwear from previous centuries and a few modern examples as well, ranging from Roman sandals to contemporary shoes; visitors can also see some of the traditional tools and machines used by cobblers and shoemakers. There is one section dedicated to footwear of famous people, such as an enormous shoe belonging to Columbus (the statue near the port): it was made to fit the statue's foot, and it is so big, in fact, that it entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest shoe in the world. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 2 pm.

Footwear History Museum Plaça Sant Felip Neri 5 - 08002 Barcelona Tel.: (+34) 93.3014533

The Design Museum is the world's leading museum of industrial design, fashion and architecture. Concerned as much with the future as the past, its regularly changing exhibition programme captures the excitement and ingenuity of design's evolution through the 20th and 21st centuries. The Design Museum is also the UK's largest provider of design education resources, and runs workshops for schools and colleges as well as teachers. Current Events and Exhibitions DESIGNER OF THE YEAR (until july 2004) Who will be the Designer of the Year? Every year the Design Museum celebrates the UK's design talent by giving a £25,000 prize to the British designer who made the biggest impact on design in the past year. The winner will be announced on 24 May. You can vote for your favourite to win at this exhibition or by voting online on the Designer of the Year website. HISTORY OF MODERN DESIGN - IN THE HOME From the glacial elegance of a Bauhaus Master's House in 1920s Germany and one of Verner Panton's pop-inspired 1960s dining rooms, to a contemporary live-work space specially designed by the Bouroullec brothers, this exhibition explores the History of Modern Design - in the Home. Drawn from the Design Museum Collection and other important archives, it tells the stories behind the landmarks in modern design that have transformed our homes and the way we use them. Info: Tel 0870 833 9955 Fax 0870 909 1909 info@designmuseum.org www.designmuseum.org

North America's unique shoe museum. Over 10,000 shoes are housed in architect Raymond Moriyama's award-winning 5 storey structure. Artifacts on exhibit range from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut crushing clogs and Elton John's platforms. The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four impressive galleries. Over 4,500 years of history and a collection of 20th century celebrity shoes are reflected in the permanent exhibition, "All About Shoes". Three other galleries feature special exhibitions. (Guided group tours are available by reservation) Info: by mail: 327 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1W7 by phone: (416) 979-7799 by fax: (416) 979-0078 www.batashoemuseum.ca

The Salvatore Ferragamo Museum is renewing its exhibition collection by opening a new show called "Ideas, Models and Inventions". Following "Shoes and Famous Feet", this occasion will focus on those ideas, projects and creations of Ferragamo, that have contributed to defining the brand identity. These creations have changed the way one conceives footwear accessories and has helped define the fundamental meaning of made in Italy. This show concentrates on the patents and trademarks of Salvatore Ferragamo, from 1927 - the year he returned to Italy from the United States - until his death 1960. These patents have recently been retrieved from the Central State Archives in Rome.
There is no entrance fee and the visits (maximum of 30 persons) are guided in english or in Italian. Telephone or fax booking is necessary.
From Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 p.m. Palazzo Spini Feroni, via Tornabuoni, 2 - 50123 Firenze. Tel: 055 3360456 - Fax: 055 3360475