La Vitrina
Small museum in a converted hay barn in Curaglia with documentary films, historical photographs and art on the cultural history of the Val Medel.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
La Vitrina is a museum project run by the association “La Vitrina”, based in Curaglia, which tells the cultural history of the Val Medel. The house explicitly does not see itself as a traditional local history museum, but as an open place for culture and art. It opened in 2023 in a converted hay barn in the village center below the municipal hall and is freely accessible every day.
The core of the project is a media library with around 30 documentary films. They cover the history of the valley from the Ice Age to the present, the beginnings of tourism, the construction of the Lukmanier road and the contest over an Alpine railway, the Romansh dialect, music, customs and the nature of the Val Medel. For the exhibition, the association gathered over 600 photographs from the early 20th century from Swiss picture archives; a selection of images from 1900 to 1915 shows the valley as a remote, farming-based world.
In addition, works of art were created specifically for the museum: a video animation by the artist couple Gabriela Gerber and Lukas Bardill, which brings to life again a 19th-century mountain sculpture by the wood sculptor from Medel, Vigeli Pally, as well as large-format color photographs by Ester Vonplon. The sculpture itself has returned to its place of origin, on loan from the Museum Kloster Disentis. In July 2026, the association opened a second location in Pardé near Platta, with a sound space and short films about the language and music of the valley.
Highlights
- Media library with around 30 documentary films about the Val Medel
- Historical photographs from 1900 to 1915
- Wooden sculpture of the Péz Caschleglia by Vigeli Pally (1881)
- Video animation by Gabriela Gerber and Lukas Bardill
- Open daily from 9:00 to 19:00, free admission
- Second location in Pardé with sound space by Pius Morger
Permanent exhibitions
- Historische Fotografien – Die Val Medel vor 100 Jahren – A selection of photographs from 1900 to 1915, including works by Rudolf Zinggeler, P. Karl Hager and Christian Meisser, shows life in the then remote mountain valley.
- Mediathek – Around 30 documentary films on the history, language, music, tourism, transport and landscape of the Val Medel can be viewed on site.
- Kunst und Klang – The wooden sculpture of the Péz Caschleglia by Vigeli Pally meets a video animation by Gabriela Gerber and Lukas Bardill and large-format photographs by Ester Vonplon.
- Founded
- 2023
- Operated by
- Verein «La Vitrina»
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission. The association welcomes a voluntary donation (suggested CHF 5 per person), which can be made directly in the exhibition via Twint or by bank transfer.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Curaglia, posta
By train to Disentis/Mustér, then by PostBus to the stop “Curaglia, posta”; the museum is only a few steps away in the village center below the municipal hall.
By car
Parking available
There is ample public parking in the village of Curaglia.
By car from the direction of Sedrun or Chur via Disentis/Mustér to Curaglia.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
Public toilets at the Curaglia municipal hall and in Platta by the church. Snacks and coffee are available at the village shop “Stizun e Caffé” in Curaglia (own opening hours).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Some of the films in the media library were shot in Romansh. The visit can be combined with a hike, for example from Pardé to Curaglia (about 1 hour 15 minutes) or from Curaglia across the suspension bridge “La Pendenta” to Disentis (about 2 hours); in winter the association advises against hiking. |
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