Val Varatella Ethnographic Museum

Let us now discover the five rooms of the Piano Nobile, the main floor once reserved for the owners of the palace.The first room we come across is the Gentle Chapel where Mass was celebrated from 1759 onwards, following its recognition by Pope Clement XIII.Next is a 16th-century room known as the Picture Gallery. You can recognise it by its slate capitals and, above all, by the oil paintings on canvas, mostly from the Ligurian and Genoese schools, dating to the 17th and 18th centuries.We then come to the aristocratic Dining Room, decorated with 18th-century Genoese damask and featuring a monumental 17th-century clock from the Carthusian monastery of Toirano.The State bedroom, furnished with pieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries, is a fine example of a ceremonial room, highlighted by its impressive four-poster bed.But the room that best reveals the wealth of the palace is the Coat of Arms Room. Once used to receive and entertain guests, it served as a reception space. The precious 18th-century mirror with its carved frame and the painted coats of arms of the two noble families are signs that clearly reflects the high status of the owners of the owners of Domus d'Aste.Before you leave, be sure to visit the most intimate space of the Main Floor:  the boudoir or fumoir, a parlour where the owners would go to relax. Here you will find furnishings typical of affluent homes, such as the secrétaire, the sofa, and small footstools that were used by ladies engaged in embroidery.The main floor concludes the visit to the Ethnographic Museum. But Toirano still has much more to offer visitors! We suggest, for example, taking a pleasant walk through the village: an ancient medieval settlement whose history is still told by its surviving architecture… and by another audio guide, which you can listen to as you enjoy a stroll through its streets. And, if you haven't already done so, a visit to the Toirano Caves is highly recommended. There, you can discover remarkable traces of prehistoric life, including the footprints of one of the earliest pet dog known to history!For now, it is time to say goodbye.We hope you enjoy continuing to explore Toirano! See you again soon!

We now go up to the main floor of the 'Domo de Ast', the residence of the Counts D'Aste since the Middle Ages. This noble family, originally from Asti, settled in Albenga during the Middle Ages, when the local bishops entrusted them with the lands of Toirano. The palace remained in the family for many generations, until around 1800, when it passed to the Marquises del Carretto, from the Balestrino branch.The building as we see it today is the result of centuries of gradual construction, beginning in the 13th century and continuing through to 1800, when the English garden was also landscaped. The palace extends behind Toirano’s western walls and is enriched by a noble loggia overlooking the town’s main street.  And here is an extra fascinating historical note: in 1714, this very place became a stop on the European stage when the Marquise Geronima D’Aste hosted Elisabetta Farnese, the Duke of Parma’s daughter, on her journey to Spain, where she was to marry King Philip V of Spain. 

According to tradition, the first nativity scene was performed on Christmas night in the year 1223 in Greccio, a small village in the province of Rieti, at the behest of St Francis of Assisi.Since then, the Nativity became an enduring and deeply rooted Italian tradition. Today, it remains at the heart of the work of many associations and permanent exhibitions across the country—like the one you are about to see here in the Val Varatella Ethnographic Museum.What was originally intended as a temporary, annual display has now become a permanent collection, preserving nativity scenes created by local families who, since the 19th century, have continued this tradition in their own homes. The typical terracotta shepherd figurines, known in popular tradition as “macachi,” were produced by the artisans of Albisola, skilled makers of nativity statuettes. For many centuries—up until around 1940—Toirano hosted the Santa Lucia Fair, an important occasion for the trade of these figurines. But the tradition goes beyond Albisola. Here you can also find “Bambinelli”—figures of the Christ Child—crafted from a variety of materials, including wood, wax, and papier-mâché, often produced in convent workshops. And if you are one of those people who wish it could always be Christmas, take a moment to explore the other 19th-century festive artefacts donated by local families. Finally, it’s worth remembering that each year during the Christmas season, Toirano hosts the Rassegna del Presepe Artistico—an exhibition of more than 200 nativity scenes displayed throughout the streets of a village rich in history and tradition!

Remember the ancient age of Emperor Charlemagne? Well, part of Toirano’s history takes us right back to those early centuries. According to tradition, in fact, the first Benedictine monastery in Toirano was founded at the time of Charlemagne, around the 9th century AD, on the summit of Monte S. Pietro. The monastery prospered for centuries, supported by generous donations from the bishops of Albenga.It was only later, in the 13th century, that Carthusians settled here, after the Benedictines were accused of corruption and removed.The model you can see in this room represents the Carthusian Monastery, a complex of the Carthusian Order, built in 1494 and expanded in the following century, before its partial demolition in the Napoleonic period, when the monks were expelled and their property confiscated.Local devotion is reflected in the objects belonging to the confraternity of the Disciplinants, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption and Saint Sebastian the Martyr.You may be wondering who the Disciplinants were!They were a lay brotherhood devoted to prayer and to works of charity and mercy. During the rites of Holy Week they wore a simple hemp habit, with a cord and hood. Here you can see a beautifully preserved example from the early 19th century, displayed in the case. We entered this room starting from the age of Charlemagne, and now, leaving it, we take a leap forward through the centuries in the history of Toirano. In the chest of drawers, you can see around one hundred original photographs and postcards, offering a vivid glimpse of Toirano between the 19th and 20th centuries, its churches, monuments, and famous caves.And perhaps most captivating of all are the portraits of the villagers themselves, proudly posing for the camera!

The history of a village is shaped by its customs and traditions. But also, inevitably, by its illustrious personalities who have left their mark.The section of the Museum we are about to visit pays tribute to three distinguished figures from Toirano: Giuseppe Polla, Onesto Garassini and Baccio Emanuele Maineri.Who were they and are they still remembered in the village today?Captain Giuseppe Polla was born in Toirano in 1659 and died in 1716. In the very year of his death, he founded the village’s first free public school, which remained active for about ninety years. Education was entrusted to the Scolopian fathers until 1798, when the Ligurian Republic suppressed the order.Here you can see his portrait, displayed alongside a painting of the Holy Family from his home, also dating to the late 17th century.Onesto Garassini, on the other hand, was a figure of the Italian Risorgimento. He was born in 1832 and died in 1902. He served as a captain in the Bersaglieri and received important honours. On the cushion of honour, you can admire the silver medal awarded to him by King Victor Emmanuel II for the Unification of Italy and an honour conferred to him by Queen Victoria for his role in the Crimean War, in 1855. The bronze medal commemorates the liberation of Rome in 1870, when, the breach of Porta Pia, the city was taken from papal rule and annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.Finally, Baccio Emanuele Maineri was a man of letters and patriot from Toirano who was born in 1831 and died in Rome in 1899. He transcribed one of the earliest Italian translations of Edgar Allan Poe's 'Incredible Stories' in 1869. He was acquainted with prominent figures such as the Cairoli family, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and the chaplain of the Thousand, Fra Pantaleo, to whom he dedicated the book displayed in the cases in this room.

In the Toirano valley, people cultivated olive trees, vines, and wheat, while trades such as blacksmithing and shoemaking were also widespread. But how did these people dress?To find out, we move to the first floor of the palace, where a room is dedicated to period clothing and costume. The display cases feature garments, christening covers made of organza and cotton thread, women’s work clothes, and festive dresses, all complemented by gold and silver jewellery from the 18th and 19th centuries. We have already mentioned the dowry chests that contained embroidered by the bride: a true tradition, present in every home. The ones displayed here belonged to ordinary families and date back to the 18th century. On the other hand, the wardrobe, made of conifer wood, dates to the 19th century, while the chest of drawers is from the early 20th century.Be sure to notice the religious artefacts and prints as well, which bear witness to a strong sense of domestic devotion. In many ways, this is not so different from many modern-day Italian homes!  It would seem that customs and habits have changed faster in the last few decades than they did in the previous centuries.We conclude this section with a closer look at the 19th-century dining room, featuring an Art Nouveau painted ceiling and furnished with pieces crafted by local artisans. The ceramics on display are of Italian and French origin.Last but not least, here we can also see a complete watch-repair workshop, comprising around 1,400 pieces. It belonged to a craftsman from Toirano and dates from the late 19th century to the first three decades of the 20th century. 

Step into the next room and take a good look, right next to the entrance, at the reconstruction of this late 19th century craft workshop. Whose could it be?Here’s a hint: according to an old Italian proverb, his child walks around wearing tattered shoes.Of course: it belongs to a shoemaker or, in Toiranese dialect, 'scarparin'.  At the end of the 19th century, shoes were made of leather. The shoemaker's tool kit therefore only contained specific tools for crafting this material.But that’s enough about trades. Now let’s go and have a peek into the private lives of the residents of a house in Toirano in the past. Observe the reconstruction of the kitchen, faithful to a 1742 notarial inventory of Toirano:  tinned copper pots, earthenware and majolica crockery from Albisola and Savona, the marble mortar with pestle for making pesto, and all those small utensils used for daily food preparation and preservation. The other faithfully reconstructed room is the bedroom. Note the 19th century furniture such as the iron bed and the chest containing handmade linen, which brides would bring in dowry to their husbands! Not to mention the ever-present chamber pots, clues to a past before the phrase “all mod cons” was invented.Finally, the last display case contains hunting equipment. You might be wondering what it is doing here, in a domestic setting. Hunting, however, was an activity practised by men from a very young age. As children, they would learn to use slingshots and build simple traps for play; later, they would progress to using rifles. Cartridges, too, were often made at home. While modern sensibilities have changed the way we view hunting, in the past wild animals provided an important supplement to a diet that was largely based on agricultural products. 

Artificial intelligence, digitisation, new jobs. The world, over the centuries, has become more virtual. But there are some trades that have changed little: the agricultural trades, which are linked to the course of the seasons and Nature, and crafts, which require care and manual skill.We are still in the 16th-century Stables of the Palace. The tools on display in this room were used for the most common agricultural and craft activities in the Toirano valley and Liguria. As you enter, on the right, firstly you notice the tools used in the vineyard:  sprayers for spraying verdigris on the leaves to ward off pests, dating back to the 1920s -1930s, and a wood and leather machine for sulphur, patented - and award-winning! - in 1906. Now look on the opposite wall at the faithful reconstruction of a small 19th-century wine cellar: you can see the wine press, some "bigonci" - or wooden buckets - and containers for storing wine, such as chestnut barrels and blown-glass bottles. And where there’s wine, there is always bread! The room also introduces you to the tools used for harvesting, the ‘correggiati’ used to thresh the ears of wheat, and then to the scythes - or 'mesuire' in Touran dialect- used to cut the grass. Before leaving the room, let’s imagine two craftsmen working at their counters. You can see a complete carpenter's workshop, with a counter dating to 1890, and the workshop of a blacksmith, using the bellows, which are early 19th century. Can you picture him blowing the bellows to ignite the wood and coal in the forge? 

In the previous room, we saw the image of a humble donkey, patiently walking in circles to turn the heavy stone of the traditional mill, until it bled.But it was not the only possible solution for this type of work.Indeed, in this room there is a curious object: an exceptional wooden gear from a 19th century “gumbu” mill, powered by hydraulic traction, with elements dating back to the 18th century. So it was not a donkey that turned the millstone, but a far more advanced technology, which made it possible to generate more energy with virtually no effort!The heavy stone cogwheels, known as 'möre', were driven by a transmission shaft, with energy provided by a large external paddle wheel, set in motion by a watercourse. In the same room, you can see some mid-19th century steelyards on display. These scales were used to weigh sacks of olives. The term of measurement was 'quarts', i.e. 12kg wooden and iron buckets on display here. From 12 kg of olives, it was estimated that about one and a half litres of oil could be produced. The wooden wine press that you can see in the Room, on the other hand, is slightly earlier than the hydraulic mill and can probably be dated to the 17th century. The baskets, called 'fiscoli', collected the crushed olives during milling.On the other hand, the two Carrara marble basins can be dated with certainty to 1606: they were introduced as measures for oil by the Republic of Genoa, which included the territory of Toirano. As you leave this section, look at the oil lamps in the display case, which can be dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. Consider that Edison only invented the modern light bulb in 1879!

Here we contemplate the oil mill, known as 'a sangue' or ‘bloody’- in Ligurian, 'u gumbettu'. We promised you an explanation. The name is linked to the fact that the grinding wheel was moved by a blindfolded donkey, which walked in circles without stopping to turn the stone. "Bloody” indicates the fatigue that poor beast must have felt!Here, you can also see a few jars and the 'tröggiu', a tub of slate slabs used for storing oil.Imagine the relief of the people who lived in these spaces when production was plentiful! Oil was a precious and vital commodity for food, food preservation, lighting, hygiene, medicines and trade. 

Have you noticed that the hilly landscape of Liguria is characterised by terracing, which makes it possible to grow olive trees on steep slopes and, consequently, produce oil? Well, the original collection of this museum was dedicated to olive growing, which has long been one of the most important activities for the Ligurian economy.Step into the first room: this was once the stables of the Palace, as you can tell from the cross-vaulted ceiling and the original 16th-century mangers.  Note the centuries-old olive tree that towers in the centre of the room! It is of the local variety called 'colombara', or in dialect 'curumbaira'. Around it, note these working tools no longer used in modern agriculture: sickles, 'assolcatori' ploughs - made of wood and iron and dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries - and the more modern 'voltorecchi' 1930s iron ploughs. Then there are some 19th century axes, billhooks and saws, used for pruning.The original plates of theEnciclopedie Française from 1789 - the same year as the Revolution! - describe harnesses for pack animals. Among them, you can see here the basto, a saddle with a wooden frame, used to carry sacks of olives and materials.Now, let's change environment: go through the small 16th-century porch to access the 'garden inside'. Here animals were once shoed. Can you imagine the pungent smell and the noise of the irons?Over the centuries it has become a garden with exotic plants and stone elements from old local mills. The marble basin, on the other hand, dates back to the 16th century and comes from a local paper mill.After visiting the garden, you enter the next room, where you will find the 'bloody' mill. Why is it called that? We will tell you there!

Have you ever wondered what people's daily lives were like in centuries past and how habits have changed?The Val Varatella Ethnographic Museum tells us just that: the story of how professions, customs, and everyday life have evolved over time.The building we are standing in now is 600 years old, in itself a silent witness to the history of the village of Toirano: the Palace of the Counts D'Aste, which passed to the Marquises del Carretto of the Balestrino branch in the 19th century. Your tour will start on the ground floor and proceed to the first floor. This first part of the route focuses on sharing the ethnographic story. You will find collections of work tools and materials related to daily life in the Toirano valley and Liguria. You will travel through 18 sections on a journey through time, from the 17th century to the 1940s.And not only artefacts await you: to recreate the atmosphere of the time, the ambience of the rooms has also been accurately reconstructed.You then leave the lower floors and go to the Piano Nobile, or Main Floor, in the second part of the exhibition. Here, you will find yourself immersed in the life of the aristocratic D'Aste and Del Carretto families, among examples of furniture, ceramics, furnishings and textiles actually used by the local nobility in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Before we begin, we would like to thank all those who, since 1980, have contributed with their donations to enhancing the richness and variety of the exhibits.In fact, back in the 1980s, the Museum began as a small collection focused entirely on olive cultivation and oil production in Toirano. Since its official establishment in 1997, the Museum has grown year by year, thanks to the ongoing support and care of the local community. For over 30 years, the collections have been curated by Orlando Boccone, with the aim of offering a complete and detailed picture of the traditional customs of Toirano and the wider Ligurian area. We hope you’ll enjoy exploring our past. Have a wonderful visit!