Museo delle Grigne
Museum in Esino Lario, in the park of Villa Clotilde, on natural history, Celtic and Roman archaeology, iron mines and daily life in the Grigne.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo delle Grigne was founded in 1947 by the parish priest of the time, Don G.B. Rocca, and set up in 1959 in the square of the Comune di Esino Lario by the engineer Pietro Pensa, who enriched it with new collections. Since 2016 it has had a new home in the park of Villa Clotilde, in via Montefiori. In the old building, in piazza Pietro Pensa, the reconstruction of a casèl, the summer-pasture hut where milk was worked, can be visited.
The museum displays collections that explain the geological events and the history of humankind from a local perspective. The route includes a natural history section, with caves, fossils, minerals and natural settings from the lake to the Grigna, and the butterfly and insect collection housed in nearby Villa Clotilde; an archaeological section on human presence in the area, with attention to Celtic and Roman settlements; an area on iron in the Valsassina; and one on daily life and work in Esino until the early twentieth century. Testimonies to the more recent development of the village are also included, such as the Scuola di arazzeria (tapestry school) and Wikimania, the international meeting of Wikipedians held in Esino Lario in 2016.
The museum is one of more than thirty institutions of the Sistema Museale of the Province of Lecco and is part of the Ecomuseo delle Grigne, whose documentation and information centre is based in Villa Clotilde.
Highlights
- Natural history section with caves, fossils and minerals
- Archaeology with Celtic and Roman settlements
- “Le terre del ferro”: the history of iron in the Valsassina
- Daily life and work in Esino until the early twentieth century
- Scuola di arazzeria (tapestry school) of Esino Lario
- Reconstruction of a casèl in the old building
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso del Museo delle Grigne – Natural history (caves, fossils, minerals), Celtic and Roman archaeology, the lands of iron, daily life in the nineteenth century, tapestry-making and the recent development of Esino Lario.
- Founded
- 1959
- Operated by
- Associazione Amici del Museo delle Grigne
- Director
- Giorgio Baratti
- Visitors per year
- approx. 950
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- 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
The website states that the museum is accessible throughout to people with reduced mobility.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Educational routes and games for younger visitors are provided inside the museum.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
In the Parco di Villa Clotilde, next to the museum, are the municipal library and the archives of the documentation centre of the Ecomuseo delle Grigne. The museum has a multimedia room for lectures, exhibitions and workshops.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided group visits by reservation. The new home is at via Montefiori 19. In the old building in piazza Pietro Pensa, near the Comune, the reconstruction of a casèl can be visited. |
