Museo etnico Arbëreshë

Ethnic museum run by volunteers in the former town hall of Civita, dedicated to peasant culture, costumes and the Byzantine tradition of the Arbëreshë.

Opening hours unknownFree admission

Directions

About the museum

The museum was opened on 25 May 1989 on the initiative of the Circolo di cultura “Gennaro Placco”, named after the 19th-century poet and patriot of Civita, with support from European funds. It was set up as a reference centre for preserving and making known the ethnic and cultural heritage of the Italo-Albanian community and is housed in the former town hall in Piazza Municipio.

The route unfolds across four rooms and presents the daily life, costumes and ritual practices of the Arbëreshë: farm tools and objects of material culture, traditional dress of Albanians in Italy and Albania, with models enriched with gold ornaments, and a large photographic archive on the Arbëreshë communities. The museum also includes a specialised library and a section on Byzantine liturgy, a distinctive feature of the religious tradition of this minority.

The museum is run by a group of volunteers from the association and also serves as a place of research and study for students and scholars.

Highlights

Traditional dress and models with gold ornaments
Farm tools and objects of everyday life
Extensive photographic archive on the Arbëreshë communities
Specialised library on Arbëreshë culture
Section on Byzantine liturgy

Permanent exhibition

Cultura materiale e costume arbëreshë – Four rooms with farm tools, traditional costumes, photographs and evidence of the Byzantine liturgy of Civita’s Arbëreshë community.

Founded: 1989
Operated by: Circolo di cultura "Gennaro Placco"
Visitors per year: approx. 8,000