Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri
Ecomuseum in Villanova di Bagnacavallo on the weaving of marsh plants, with a collection, an immersive room, a workshop house and an ethnopark.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ecomuseum began its research and recovery work in 1985 to save and document the heritage of knowledge linked to life between land and valley. At its centre is the working of marsh plants, practised in Villanova di Bagnacavallo from the 14th century until the 1970s, when the arrival of plastics brought the activity to an end. The village, founded as “Villanova delle Capanne” on the left bank of the Lamone, specialised in mats, brooms, baskets, chair-caning and other items made from cane, stiancia, sedge, rush and spiky rush, together with poplar and willow.
The visit begins in the teaching room with an introductory film, continues in the immersive room, with a panoramic projection over eleven metres long of the valley landscape, and in the workshop house, where weaving demonstrations are held. On the upper floor, the “ciclo delle cinque erbe” (cycle of the five plants) presents hundreds of original objects from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century across four rooms, with a section on traditional games. The route ends at the ethnopark, which reconstructs reed huts.
Highlights
- Collection of marsh-plant objects from the 19th and 20th centuries
- Immersive room with a panoramic projection of the valley
- Workshop house with weaving demonstrations
- “Cycle of the Five Plants” and section on traditional games
- Ethnopark “Villanova delle Capanne”
- Founded
- 1985
- Operated by
- Associazione Culturale Civiltà delle Erbe Palustri
- Visitors per year
- approx. 12,294
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|
Admission €2. Educational routes for schools cost €3 (duration 2 hours).
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
In the workshop house visitors can touch plants and working tools; the ecomuseum runs workshops for children and schools and has a section dedicated to traditional games.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Reception with a small shop selling local products, marsh-plant objects and publications about the area.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Up to 53 guests.
Teaching room for 53 people with screen and projection equipment, also suitable for conferences.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visits by advance booking. To protect the collections, largely dry plants laid on the floor, dogs are not admitted to the museum (assistance dogs are allowed); they may wait in the ethnopark on a lead or accompanied. |
