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Established in 1999 by the Piedmont Region and coordinated by the Valsesia Mountain Community, Valsesia Ecomuseum is focused on the Walser culture in the local valley. The Walser (from the German “Walliser”, meaning “inhabitant of the canton of Valais”) are a population of Germanic origin, belonging to the Alemanni family, who arrived around the VIII century in the upper Valais, at the foot of Mount Rosa; during the XII-XIII century, they also settled in other places of the Alpine range in Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria.
In particular, between the XIII and the XIV century, they left important traces in Valsesia, building paths, terraces, canals, and peculiar settlements.

The museum is actually developed on a long path, reaching different locations in the valley grouped in two main categories:

– the Ecomuseum of the Walser territory and the culture of Alta Valsesia: which covers the Municipalities of Alagna Valsesia, Riva Valdobbia, Rima, Rimasco, Carcoforo, Rimella, and part of the territory of the Alta Valsesia Natural Park, as well as the Municipalities of Campertogno, Mollia, and Rassa;

– the Ecomuseum of the territory and the rural material culture of lower Valsesia: which relates to the Municipalities of Breia, Cellio, and Valduggia, the Natural Park of Mount Fenera and its thatched-roof dwellings (the so-called “taragn” buildings).

Along the path, visitors come across old sawmills, oil mills, lime and bread ovens, presses, forges, marble quarries, and assorted workshops, as well as fresco workshops, small hamlets, museums, theatres, stone and wood buildings, churches, oratories, and chapels. There are also several workshops for teaching fresco and other painting and drawing techniques, some more evidence of the Walser, as well as a wealth of information about mountain and peasant culture.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)