Città del Cioccolato, the world’s largest museum dedicated to cacao and chocolate, presents Huaca Montegrande

On October, 30 2025, the Città del Cioccolato -City of Chocolate- was inaugurated in Perugia, Italy, becoming the largest museum in the world devoted to chocolate and cacao. This museum offers not only insights into this Amazonian-origin fruit but also unforgettable immersive experiences for the hundreds of visitors it welcomes.

The project, with an investment of six million euros, restored and transformed the historic former Coperto Market of Perugia, a 2,800 m² building, into a museum where visitors can explore the history, culture, and production of the “food of the gods” through sensory and interactive experiences. Conceived by Eugenio Guarducci, founder of the international Eurochocolate Festival, the City of Chocolate combines education, social inclusion, and sustainable development. It is supported by the Italian government programme Italia Economia Sociale and financed by Intesa Sanpaolo. The crowdfunding campaign was also a major success: with the participation of 198 investors, it not only met but exceeded its target of one million euros, allocated to four specific lines of action: enhancing promotion and marketing; establishing the International Observatory on Cacao and Chocolate; strengthening sustainability initiatives within the cacao and chocolate supply chain; and expanding social inclusion projects.

In this context, Huaca Montegrande, in Peru, is presented alongside Palanda, in Ecuador, as one of the archaeological sites confirming the Amazonian origin of cacao and its domestication in ancient South America. Ceramic fragments, sculptures, and organic remains unearthed at Montegrande, together with the most recent radiocarbon dating conducted in 2025, indicate that some 6,000 years ago, the ancient inhabitants of the Marañón Culture were already using cacao and other foods in ritual contexts, constituting the earliest known evidence of its use.

The immersive journey continues through a tropical forest, where cacao grows. Visitors can see how pods develop directly from the trunks of the trees, follow the harvesting, fermentation, and drying processes, and experience an environment that seamlessly blends nature, art, and culture. Visitors can also enter the bean-to-bar chocolate factory to create their own chocolate bars.

The museum also hosts the prestigious Cacao of Excellence programme, exhibitions on fashion and design related to chocolate, and culminates with the Choco Shop, the largest chocolate store in the world, alongside the elegant The Chocolate Bar, a panoramic space dedicated to cacao enthusiasts. Just a few steps from the museum complex lies the LAB – Luisa Annibale Base, where over a century ago Luisa and Annibale Spagnoli established the very first laboratory of what would later become Perugina, an iconic company in the confectionery sector. This venue hosts tastings and demonstrations led by industry experts and professionals, showcasing the versatility of cacao in various applications (e.g., wine and chocolate pairings, sampling different types of chocolate, and recipe demonstrations).

We are immensely proud that ASICAMPE’s archaeological research at Montegrande is featured in such a significant museum.