Museo dell’Emigrante di Roasio
Volunteer-run museum in the former school of Sant’Eusebio on the history of emigration from Roasio, from the 19th century to today.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum opened in spring 2001 and preserves the memory of five generations of emigrants from Roasio. It is run entirely by a private cultural association of volunteers, without public funding, thanks to donations from members, visitors, associations and local businesses.
The venue is the former primary school of the hamlet of Sant’Eusebio, conceived as a “living archive”, with suitcases, handwritten letters and photographs. The route traces the phases of emigration: at the end of the 18th century, seasonal work in the rice fields of the Vercelli area and in some mines in Sardinia; in the first half of the 19th century, departures on foot for France and Switzerland as bricklayers and decorators; and from the second half of the 19th century, crossings to Africa and the Americas, which over time turned into migrations of entire families.
The collections include over 1,300 biographical records, more than 1,500 photographs and over 500 documents, among them a rare internal passport of the Regno d’Italia (Kingdom of Italy) from 1891, and more than 300 objects from the African areas of emigration, such as ritual masks, statues, musical instruments and jewellery. Today more than 700 of Roasio’s roughly 2,200 inhabitants live abroad.
Highlights
- Internal passport of the Regno d’Italia (Kingdom of Italy) from 1891
- More than 1,500 photographs of emigration
- More than 1,300 biographical records of emigrants
- African objects: ritual masks, statues and musical instruments
- Suitcases and handwritten letters
- Genealogical research service
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso permanente sull’emigrazione roasese – Three rooms with life stories, documents, photographs and a collection of African objects from the areas of emigration.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Associazione culturale privata di volontari
- Visitors per year
- approx. 470
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission; a donation to support the volunteer association that runs the museum is welcome.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | Group visits are booked via the form on the website; outside opening hours booking is always required. The museum also offers a genealogical research service. |
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