Ecomuseo dell’Alta Valle Maira

The aim of the Ecomuseum of the Upper Maira Valley is to enhance and protect the natural and man-made environment and to recover the traditions and evidence of the past. The driving theme is emigration, with a special focus on the itinerant trades (anchovy makers, coopers, hair pickers, bast makers, cloth sellers, haberdashers, itinerant painters, etc.) that supported agriculture and characterised the history and economy of the Maira Valley. The Ecomuseum 'narrates' the territory, highlighting the activities that denote the resourcefulness of the valley dwellers and that, even today, are still evident in the Alpine culture, in the agricultural and craft activities as well as in the historical aspects, artistic and architectural testimonies of the Maira Valley. In fact, in addition to the seasonal itinerant crafts, particular attention has been given to the theme of the man-made landscape, through the enhancement of Alpine architecture and artistic heritage, which reached its peak between the 13th and 16th centuries when the 12 municipalities of the Upper Maira Valley formed an independent republic characterised by a cultural context in the Languedoc language. Discover the activities of the Ecomuseum.