Museo Etnografico «C'era una volta»
Ethnographic museum in the 18th-century Gambarina Vecchia barracks in Alessandria, with reconstructions of rural life between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo Etnografico “C'era una volta” in Alessandria is housed in the “Gambarina Vecchia”, an 18th-century barracks owned by the municipality. The exhibition area covers about 1,600 square metres spread over two floors. The museum is run by the volunteer association “Amici del Museo Etnografico Gambarina”, founded in 1988. Its founders gathered the finds, which had been kept since 1967 in the primary school of Valle San Bartolomeo before the move to the present site.
On the ground floor, a route through the bays of the former stables recreates moments of public and private life in peasant society between the 19th and 20th centuries. The “Finestre sul passato” (Windows on the past) show birth, games, school, the kitchen, the bedroom, the trousseau room and weddings. One section is devoted to the two world wars, with objects and weapons mainly from the 1915–1918 war, and another to the tools of craft trades and agriculture.
On the first floor the route covers the history of traditional music and of Alessandria's theatre, with a collection of period radios, the “Ambiente e Territori” section on the productive city, a school classroom of the 1930s, an ethnographic library, a Wunderkammer with 1,070 shells and a rich collection of origami. The Sala IV Stato hosts temporary exhibitions, and the multimedia room hosts events and lectures.
Highlights
- Windows on the past: reconstructions of rural life
- Section on the First World War
- School classroom of the 1930s
- Wunderkammer with 1,070 shells
- Origami collection
- Ethnographic library
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso etnografico permanente – Reconstructions of rural life between the 19th and 20th centuries, a section on the world wars, craft trades, a 1930s classroom, the Wunderkammer and origami.
- Operated by
- Associazione Amici del Museo Etnografico Gambarina
- Visitors per year
- approx. 11,826
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Up to age 18 and over 65s |
| Children & teens | €2free up to age 12 · Free up to age 12; reduced rate for ages 13 to 18. |
| Seniors | €2Over 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companions. |
Free admission also for journalists with a press card, accompanying adults of tourist groups, and schools in the municipality of Alessandria.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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 indicates access for people with disabilities and a lift.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The museum organises workshops for children and families, and routes for schools.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The museum mentions a large car park.
The museum is located at Piazza della Gambarina 1, Alessandria.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Large car park indicated by the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group visits are possible by reservation (tel. 0131 40030), and there are educational routes for nursery, primary and secondary schools, for example “Alessandria città produttiva” (productive city of Alessandria) and “Il mondo dei minerali” (the world of minerals), with workshops. |
