Museo della Figurina di gesso

The custom of working with plaster originated in Coreglia probably between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, since then this activity has acquired more and more importance until it became the main occupation of the local population.

There were three reasons that determined the birth of the museum in 1975: the migratory phenomenon of the figurines, the presence of a building left as a dowry to the village and the numerous donations of plaster figurines.

The current exhibition of the museum consists of 1300 examples of plaster which for their representations, for their color and shape and, above all, for the way in which they were made, represent the technical evolution of this craftsmanship from 1600 to the days our.

Among the objects of greatest value and of considerable historical significance we remember: eighteenth-century kittens blackened with candle smoke, the original mask of Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, lost print busts. Thus in the various rooms of the museum we can admire the plaster reproduction of the most famous protagonists of the past from Napoleon to Garibaldi, from Dante to Petrarch, from the most famous German musicians to the characters of ancient Rome and Greek mythology, all made with such perfection technique to transform this craft into a minor art form. Ample space was dedicated to exhibiting the methods of working with gypsum in the absence of both glue and rubber.

Part of the works on display were produced by the students of the School of Design and Plastic, an institution created in 1883 to provide a basic cultural heritage to those who emigrated to practice the profession of figurine makers. The creator, the cav. Carlo Vanni, who was part of a family of figurists-entrepreneurs, chose two important figurists as the first teachers of the nascent school: Giocondo Molinari and Nicolao Mazzotti, of whom various works are exhibited.

Finally, another section, located on the ground floor, is the one relating to documents on the emigration of figurines, in which passports, letters and photos are displayed.

This place wants to be a central point from which continuous stimuli for a deeper knowledge of the territory start, starting from Coreglia Antelminelli, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy to get to the surrounding villages of the Media Valley and Garfagnana, territories rich in history , culture, unique landscapes and with particular attention to the food and wine heritage.

Every year, ad hoc initiatives are organized inside the museum, both for educational purposes in the laboratory where a craftsman teaches the secrets of this ancient craft that has now almost disappeared, and for educational and cultural purposes aimed at involving visitors and citizens of the municipality to carry on. the history of this tradition.

The museum operates at the following times:

From 1st June to 30th September:
Weekdays: 9.00 - 13.00
Holidays: 10.00 - 13.00 and 16.00 - 19.00
From 1st October to 31st May
Weekdays: 9.00 - 13.00
Closed on November 2nd
The Museum can also be visited at other times by reservation

Contacts:
0583 78152 internal 4
0583 78082
museum [email protected]
[email protected]