Photo: Patafisik · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Museo della Storia di Apricale

Museum in the Castello della Lucertola with documents, archaeological finds and memorabilia on the history of Apricale, and a hanging garden with sculptures.

Opening hours unknown

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About the museum

The Museo della Storia di Apricale is housed in the Castello della Lucertola, built in the 10th century by the counts of Ventimiglia. It went from a strategic fortification to a noble residence and finally to a municipally owned cultural centre. In the 16th century the castle and the village suffered serious damage from the revenge of Agostino Grimaldi against Bartolomeo Doria; rebuilt with reduced functions, the building changed owners several times and for a long time was a private residence.

Today the museum holds documents, archaeological material and Renaissance memorabilia that illustrate the history of the village, and it also preserves the medieval statutes of Apricale of 1267. The route comprises seven themed rooms; some panels explore the story of the “contessa di Apricale”, Emma Cristina Bellomo Della Torre, who in the second half of the 19th century was involved in political intrigues in several European countries, in Japan and at the Russian court of the Romanovs.

The castle also has atmospheric underground rooms and a hanging garden, where sculptural installations by François Bouché and Georges Boisgontier are displayed.

Highlights

Medieval statutes of Apricale of 1267
Seven themed rooms on history, archaeology and the Renaissance
Hanging garden with sculptures by François Bouché and Georges Boisgontier
The story of the “contessa di Apricale”