Museo del Carro e dei Misteri di Cartapesta

About the museum

The museum is housed in the monumental San Francesco complex in Mirabella Eclano, founded in 1222, opened to the public in 2005 and also home to the town hall. It preserves two heritage collections linked to the religious and popular traditions of the town: the Carro di paglia (straw cart) and the Misteri in papier-mâché.

The Museo del Carro preserves original parts of the seven tiers that make up the straw obelisk, 25 metres high and clad in woven straw panels, which is carried in procession during the feast in honour of the Vergine Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows). The Carro grew out of the ancient peasant custom of offering sheaves from the harvest and has over time become a structure inspired by the Baroque, similar to the Neapolitan spires (guglie napoletane).

The Museo dei Misteri occupies the former stables of the Franciscan convent. A longitudinal route takes visitors through the stages of the Passion of Christ, with figures about 1.5 metres tall, modelled in paper, glue and glass inserts for the eyes, the work of the local artist Antonio Russo (1836–1914), who donated them to the community in 1875. A multimedia room and audiovisual aids illustrate the techniques of papier-mâché craftsmanship.

Highlights

• Original parts of the seven tiers of the 25-metre straw obelisk
• Papier-mâché sculptural groups by Antonio Russo (1875) on the Passion of Christ
• San Francesco monumental complex, founded in 1222
• Multimedia room on papier-mâché techniques
• Museum education workshops

Permanent exhibitions

• Museo del Carro di paglia – Original parts of the seven tiers of the straw obelisk carried in procession, with material on the history of the festival.
• Museo dei Misteri di cartapesta – Papier-mâché sculptural groups by Antonio Russo on the stages of the Passion of Christ, in a route through the former stables of the convent.

Operated by

Comune di Mirabella Eclano

Visitors per year

approx. 4,000

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum offers museum education workshops, for example on clay modelling, fibre art and tinkering.

Getting there & parking

The museum is reached on foot from the centre of the village: it is on Via Municipio, in the San Francesco complex that also houses the town hall.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit