In the 1960s, Mr Ugo Francioli arranged the documents kept in his Villimpenta home and relating to two of his illustrious ancestors: Giovanni Nuvolari and Carlo Francioli, leading figures of the Risorgimento in Mantua.

Mr Francioli then decided to found a museum, opened in 1993, to exhibit the rich documentation. In addition to documents, it presents tools and objects from the rural world. In recent years, a new section has been added and focuses on life and work in the rice paddies.