One step beyond the threshold of Palazzo Bettoni… and the journey into the history and culture of Val Cavallina begins: in the rooms of this 18th-century residence in the heart of Casazza, the story unfolds of a land shaped by man, who has interwoven his life with stone, water, vegetation, and animals, defining his specific local culture over the centuries.
A dense network of water, worked stone, wild animals, and grassy pastures form with man a delicate ecosystem to be discovered and protected, narrated by a selected collection of objects belonging to the peasant tradition and not only: could you tell what a “gerla” is?
Two lakes, Endine and Gaiano. The river Cherio runs through the valley. Ancient mills leaning against streams and watercourses. Thermal spas like the one in Trescore Balneario. The Cavellas Museum dedicates an entire section to water, the great protagonist of life in the valley, where on of the main exhibit is the mud bath carved out of a single block of Dolomia.
This stone, typical of the area, together with others, returns to the section of the museum where the geology of Val Cavallina is explored in depth with a didactic itinerary dedicated to the use of local stones, including building, the realisation of artistic artifacts and elements that are protagonists of rural history such as millstones and drinking troughs.
Amidst historical documents and information panels on the local fauna, the Cavellas Museum also recounts the relationship between man and animals, from cohabitation with foxes, wild boars, and wolves, to animal husbandry, the ancient silk trade, and beekeeping.
Alongside honey, there is no lack of space for chestnuts and vines, together with fruit trees, the protagonists of an in-depth itinerary linking the local vegetation to the activities of man. In past decades, apples, pears, and plums were harvested and then transported in a basket made from woven hazelnut branches, that is the “gerla”, symbol of rural culture.
DETAILS OF INTEREST:
– Historical environmental exhibition on the material culture of Val Cavallina;
– Gallery with themed exhibitions that are renewed annually.
VISIT INFORMATION:
– Free admission during regular weekend openings (March to December included);
– Opening hours (from 4th May): Saturday 3 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.; Sunday 9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. / 3 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.; closed on Easter, 25th April, 1st May, 2nd June, 15th August, Christmas and 26th December;
– Free/guided tours bookable for groups (adults/school classes) also possible on weekdays upon request;
– Duration of a guided tour (Italian/English): approximately 60′;
– A ticket is charged for the guide service, with a choice of educational workshops available in the case of school groups);
– For further information, contact the booking service;
– Parking: nearby, a few dozen metres away.
