Peasant Civilization Museum – Montecastelli Pisano
Montecastelli Pisano is a hilly town located in Tuscany in the territory of Pisa, precisely in the municipality of Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, known for the riches of its soil and for the history of its peasant inhabitants who have cultivated and made this splendid land flourish.
The peasant tradition has affected the history of this small Pisan fraction so much that the town has decided to open a museum in honor of the peasant civilization.
Peasant Civilization Museum: origin
Built in 1985, the Museum of Peasant Civilization is characterized by having on display rudimentary and artisanal peasant material donated by the citizens themselves.
More than 500 objects that historically can be traced back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.
An important tribute to those who with their agricultural and manual skills have made the history of this hilly area.
A peasant tradition, poor but virtuous.
The characteristic, in fact, that distinguishes this monumental complex from others is the idea behind the project: it was born by the will of the inhabitants of Montecastelli Pisano themselves in order to celebrate men and women who with their hands and the use of tools rudimentary have created a peasant artisan art handed down for generations.
Peasant Civilization Museum: exhibition rooms
The museum presents a collection of approximately 500 objects typical of the rural world belonging to two historical periods, in particular, the 19th and 20th centuries.
All the utensils and tools were donated by the inhabitants of the town in order to allow them to be appreciated by other fellow citizens and tourists.
By peasant tradition we do not mean only the mere working of the land, but all the traditional crafts and here you can admire objects used in carpentry, by cobblers, weavers, etc.
A journey through history along two rooms, in which the objects are exhibited as well as preserved.
The descriptions make the story behind each tool even more suggestive, a way to open your eyes to the peasant world and to an evolution developed over the centuries, to understand how much the earth has been the result of hard work made of love and rudimentary tools. .
The tools include not only the tools used to work the land but also those of some trades, some still existing others a distant recourse such as the equipment used by carpenters, saddlers, cobblers etc …
The museum is divided in such a way as to follow a historical path that allows you to reconstruct over the centuries the processing stage of ancient crafts including yarns.
Peasant Civilization Museum: location
For those wishing to visit the Museum, just go to Montecastelli Pisano, the Museum stands inside a very artistic and rudimentary structure, that is, it is housed in the walls of the city itself.
All located in an area on the ground floor, the rooms are divided into areas, according to the instruments on display and the historical periods they belong to.
Suggestive location, ideal for the very nature of the exhibits, it is certainly an alternative idea of a museum.
Those who want more information can consult the Terra di Pisa website where they can find info on costs, timetables and prices of the Museum of Rural Life, by accessing the following link: “https://www.terredipisa.it/attrazione/castelnuovo -val-cecina-museo-peasant-civilization / “