Montecreto Public Museum is housed in the basement of the town hall, thanks to an expertly executed restoration programme which saw it transformed from humble storehouse for work tools and materials, to guardian of the rich history of this small village.
There are three sections, set up with dedication by curator Carlo Beneventi who, through the innovative concept of ‘shared memory’, has made many inhabitants and tourists active participants in the development of the museum, through donations of objects and artefacts which otherwise would have been consigned to oblivion or, worse still, destroyed.
The first section of the museum, through the items on display, traces the period in which the area of Frignano was affected by the fighting of World War II, when the Gothic Line ran along the Apennine ridge. The second section deals with the post-war period, with a room dedicated to the subject of the ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ vocational training centre, which, thanks to the encouragement of the parish priest at the time, Don Antonino Cenacchi, contributed to the growth of many young people from the area, offering courses to introduce them to the trades of carpentry, bricklaying or electrics, and a final section on archaeology and local history in which the four sandstone lions, removed from the Strettara bridge in the 1980s and which the museum its name, have found their final home; there are also prehistoric, Celtic, Roman and medieval finds on display in this section.
To find out about opening times and day, to ask information and organise guided tours, contact +39 331-7992992 or email carlo.beneventi@gmail.com.
If you would like a small preview of the museum, you can take a virtual tour inside the rooms at this link!
Visiting hours
The museum’s opening days vary depending on the season, and is usually from 9.30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
