Museo dei Picasass
Museum dedicated to the picasass, the stonecutters of Viggiù: sandstone quarries, worked stones, tools and artists of the local sculptural tradition.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo dei Picasass was established in the early 1980s as part of the reorganisation of the Museo Butti, with the aim of preserving documentation on the extraction and working of stone before the last stonecutters, quarries and workshops disappeared. The project was linked to the work of curator Gottardo Ortelli and of culture councillor Fausto Zani.
The route tells the craft tradition of Viggiù, a town of sculptors and stonecutters heir to the Comacine masters, whose organisation was recognised in the so-called “Famiglia” from the 15th century onwards. The sections illustrate the sandstone quarries from which the workshops' stone came, the marks left on the material by different tools at the various stages of working, the tools of the picasass, and the artists, sculptors and architects born in Viggiù.
Part of the documentation can also be consulted on the website of the Musei Civici Viggiutesi in the form of downloadable information panels. The museum is part of the municipal museum complex together with the Museo Enrico Butti, the Museo degli artisti viggiutesi del Novecento and the Museo della scultura viggiutese dell'Ottocento.
Highlights
- Documentation on the sandstone quarries of Viggiù
- Marks left by tools on stone at the various working stages
- Stonecutters' tools for different materials
- Section on artists from Viggiù
- Downloadable information panels on the website
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso sui picasass di Viggiù – Sandstone quarries, worked stones and stonecutters' tools, with a section on the artists and the town of Viggiù.
- Operated by
- Comune di Viggiù
- Visitors per year
- approx. 800
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The museum is in the historic centre of Viggiù, at Villa Borromeo.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | For visits on days other than those indicated, booking is required through the Museo Enrico Butti (by telephone or online form). |
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