Museo Arti e Mestieri di un Tempo

About the museum

At the end of the 1970s, when the building that extended the Torre Porta into the courtyard of the castle of Cisterna d'Asti was demolished, a group of young people from the village led by Lino Vaudano conceived the idea of saving the building and the objects of the area's material culture, which in those years were being thrown out of attics. On 4 October 1980 the original nucleus of the museum was opened on the ground floor of the castle.

Over the decades, always thanks to the work of volunteers, first of the Pro Loco and then of the Associazione Museo, which has managed the museum since 1990, the whole building has been recovered. Today, in the 23 rooms spread over three floors, 25 workshops are set up with the original tools and furnishings, collected and restored by the volunteers. The collections include about 4,000 objects dating from the 17th to the 20th century, which make the museum one of the most important ethnographic museums in Piedmont.

The municipality made the building available free of charge and oversaw its restoration, including the lift installed in 2018 from the courtyard level to the top floor. Since 2015 the museum has operated entirely thanks to volunteer work. Among the rooms are the osteria (tavern), the bakery, the tobacconist's, the printing shop, the nougat maker's, the cooper's, the wheelwright's, the cobbler's, the carpenter's, the watchmaker's, the music room and the room of weights and measures.

Highlights

• 25 workshops reconstructed in 23 rooms over three floors of the castle
• About 4,000 objects from the 17th to the 20th century
• Old cellars, tavern, bakery, printing shop and tobacconist's on the piano nobile (main floor)
• Attic with the cooper's, wheelwright's, cobbler's, carpenter's and watchmaker's workshops
• Virtual tour and a route in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Permanent exhibition

• Le botteghe del museo – Guided route through 23 rooms over three floors of the castle, with 25 workshops furnished with original tools and furniture, from the old cellars to the attic floor.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Associazione Museo Arti e Mestieri di un tempo ODV ETS

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for holders of the Tessera Musei Torino Città Capitale and the Torino+Piemonte Card. The guided tour is included in the ticket.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Since 2018 a lift has connected the courtyard level with the top floor of the castle. The museum offers a route in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and a virtual tour.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Free admission for children up to 14 accompanied by their parents; educational routes and workshops are provided for schools.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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