Ecomuseo della Pastorizia

About the museum

The Ecomuseo della Pastorizia was established by the Piedmont Region under regional law 31 of 1995 and is located in Pontebernardo, in the municipality of Pietraporzio, in the upper Valle Stura. It is conceived as a “draio”, a path in the Occitan language that the local community traces by digging into the roots of its own history. It does not propose a return to an idyllic past, but aims to bring pastoralism forward as an important economic resource and to enhance the knowledge linked to it.

The ecomuseum works to save and revive the Sambucana sheep, a breed at risk of disappearing in the eighties, and to promote the pastoral culture of the valley. The museum route “Na Draio per vioure” (“a path for living”) tells the story of pastoralism in the Mediterranean from its origins to today, with objects, archive documents, photographs, films, and sounds and voices from the pastoral world.

The spaces include a small room for meetings and exhibitions, a sales point with bookshop, a tasting point, the community cheese dairy, a salami producer, the ram selection centre and the ecomuseum’s paths. In summer there are events such as open-air cinema, talks and performances.

Highlights

• “Na Draio per vioure” route on Mediterranean pastoralism
• Sambucana sheep, a local breed saved from extinction
• Sales point and bookshop with circular wool products
• Ecomuseum paths and community cheese dairy
• Summer events in the ecomuseum’s small square

Permanent exhibition

• Na Draio per vioure – Route on pastoralism in the Mediterranean from its origins to today, with objects, archive documents, photographs, films and sounds.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Unione Montana Valle Stura

Admission & discounts

Self-guided entry costs €1 (coin at the coin slot), or access is via the Kurubik app; guided tours on the weekends indicated are free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The ecomuseum is in Pontebernardo, at 1,322 m altitude in the Valle Stura, about an hour’s drive from Cuneo: from Cuneo follow the signs for the SS 21 towards the Colle della Maddalena; once in Pietraporzio continue for about 2 km to the village of Pontebernardo, where the ecomuseum is in the centre.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Sales point and bookshop; the “La Pecora Nera” inn (run by the Germinale community farming cooperative) with local products, open for lunch and dinner and closed on Wednesdays.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit