MUVEL – Diffused Museum of Rural Culture of Velva
Velva: An Open-Air Museum
In the heart of the village of Velva, in the municipality of Castiglione Chiavarese, the village itself becomes an open-air museum. Every alley, building, and corner tells the story of a rural community that skillfully intertwined domestic life, agricultural work, and artisanal traditions, offering visitors an immersive experience between the past and the local territory.
The Oratorio dei Bianchi: Heart of the Museum
The main site of the museum is the ancient Oratorio dei Bianchi, a building used for worship until the early 20th century. Inside, the exhibition is divided into two main sections: one dedicated to agricultural activities, including milling, pressing, and other product processing, as well as domestic tasks; the other focused on artisanal, transport, and commercial activities. The presence of objects from other areas highlights the historic trade routes that connected the region’s production centers.
The Life of the Community in Objects and Workshops
The exhibits reveal everyday stories of the community: the carpenter-cooper’s workshop, whose owner often split his day with fieldwork; the work of carters and mule drivers, the cobbler, and the farmer engaged in chestnut beating or grain threshing. Special attention is given to mills, central to local agricultural life, including both grain mills and olive presses.
The Village as a Living Museum
The museum path extends along the streets of the village, where a mill, a modest home with a kitchen, and a wealthier residence have been set up as exhibition spaces. Cellars, basements, artisan workshops, and domestic spaces become places to relive the moments and themes of local culture, turning the village itself into a living container of memory and tradition.
Sources
Figone F., “La podesteria di Castiglione. Lineamenti storici”, Sestri Levante 1995;
Figone F., “Il Comune di Castiglione tra Ottocento e Novecento”, Oltre edizioni, Sestri Levante, 2013;
Figone F., “È tempo di migrare. La crisi della civiltà contadina in Val Petronio”, Gammarò edizioni, Sestri Levante, 2015;
Figone F., “Storie in soffitta. Aneddoti, racconti, personaggi”, Gammarò edizioni, Sestri Levante, 2017;
Mannoni T., “Strade di Liguria. Un patrimonio storico da scoprire”, De Ferrari Editore, Genova, 2007;
https://fuorigenova.cittametropolitana.genova.it/content/poi/museo-diffuso-della-cultura-contadina-eco-museo-dellalta-val-petronio;
https://www.museionline.info/musei/museo-diffuso-della-cultura-contadina-di-velva
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