Museo della Carta

Located in the fascinating setting of the ancient Maina Inferiore paper mill, the museum tour offers a chronological journey through the history of paper and its valley, from its origins to the 20th century. The visitor is welcomed into evocative 16th-century rooms, where the stages of ancient handicraft production come to life.

Everything started with the recovery of linen, hemp and cotton ragsselected and chopped, they were left to macerate in large stone vats with water and quicklime. The heart of production beat to the rhythm of wooden hammers, powered by water wheels, which reduced the fabrics to a pulp. It was then the master papermaker who shaped the sheets, which were then pressed and spread out to dry in the large drying rooms on the upper floors. The process ended with sizing, to make the paper waterproof, and final smoothing.

The experience is enriched by interactive stationsone allows you to immerse yourself in the daily life of the time through the archaeological finds in the Valley; the other is dedicated to the famous Paganini Printers. Here, among rare volumes from the early 16th century, it is possible to discover the link between Toscolano and the Baldus by Theophilus Folengo, a masterpiece of Macaronic literature.