Craft museums in Tuscany

Tuscany boasts ancient traditions in the field of handicrafts: each city holds invaluable craft treasures. And it is precisely to preserve and enhance these typical productions, and the ancient crafts related to them, that over time a network of handicraft museums has sprung up.

We have selected for you five craft museums in Tuscany that we recommend you visit and that, we are sure, will pleasantly surprise you.

MuVE – Museum of Glass in Empoli

Inaugurated in 2010, the MuVE – Museum of Glass in Empoli traces the history of the local glass industry, which with its centuries-old artistic and artisanal tradition represents one of the oldest manufacturing activities in the city. It is housed in the spaces created inside the ancient Magazzino del Sale, built in the 14th century to stow and distribute the salt that came from the salt pans of Volterra. On display are artistic but also everyday objects such as the flask, bottle and demijohn. Through documents, reconstructions, photographs, videos and working tools, it illustrates the changes that took place in Empolese glassmaking. In addition to this, the museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions.

Wool Museum in Stia

The Wool Museum is housed in the historic Woolen Mill in Stia, restored after decades of neglect, where over the years the production of Casentino cloth, in traditional green and orange colors, fermented. The complex, now a classic example of industrial archaeology, was a landmark for the local economy. The aim of the museum is to tell the story of the art of wool, from the beginnings of human civilization to the golden age of the Stia Wool Mill. The exhibition itinerary, which is divided into five sections, offers the opportunity to observe, touch and manually experience the main processes. The museum also offers workshops and educational activities for younger children.

Textile Museum of Prato

The Prato Textile Museum is the largest cultural center in Italy completely dedicated to textile art and technology. Founded in 1975, since 2003 it has been housed in the restored rooms of the former Campolmi factory, a valuable example of the city’s industrial archaeology. The exhibition documents the art of textiles from the early Christian era to the present day. The museum’s holdings consist of thousands of textile exhibits that have a wide variety of origins and belong to multiple material categories. Local productions are represented by machinery and samples from the mid-19th century to the present. The museum also organizes educational activities, events and exhibitions.

Museum of Ceramics of Montelupo Fiorentino

The Museum of Ceramics in Montelupo Fiorentino offers a chronological reconstruction of the history of ceramic art. It includes an extraordinary collection of ceramic works ranging from the 13th to the 18th century, mostly produced in Montelupo Fiorentino, which, especially between the 15th and 16th centuries, was one of the major centers of manufacture in the entire Mediterranean basin. Almost all of the pieces on display come from archaeological excavations carried out in the old kiln dumps, but there are also majolica pieces that are the result of donations or acquisitions, including the famous basin known as Rosso di Montelupo. The museum also features a children’s trail with interactive activities.

Volterra Alabaster Ecomuseum

The Alabaster Ecomuseum involves the towns of Volterra, Castellina Marittima and Santa Luce, which boast a rich alabaster craft and artistic tradition. The museum is spread over the three municipalities, each of which has an exhibition point: the one in Volterra unfolds in an evocative setting inside the medieval Minucci tower-house. The itinerary illustrates the history of alabaster working from the Etruscans to the present day. Among the most significant pieces are: two alabaster cinerariums from Etruscan times; a series of medallions by sculptor Luigi Albino Funaioli; and some works by Volterra sculptor Raffaello Consortini.

Photo © Textile Museum of Prato – Wool Museum in Stia – Museum of Ceramics of Montelupo Fiorentino