Rovescala and the Museo Agricolo nei Secoli: the tale of the wine civilisation

In the eastern heart of the Oltrepò Pavese area, amidst hills adorned with vineyards and atmospheres of bygone times, Rovescala holds a hidden gem of rural memory: the Museo Agricolo nei Secoli (Agricultural Museum in the Centuries). In an area that gently fades towards the borders with the Colli Piacentini, a place is born that celebrates the agricultural soul of this land, profoundly linked to the cultivation of vines and the farming tradition.

Cover image taken from the Rovescala Municipality website

A museum recounting the work and everyday life of the farming world

The museum was strongly desired by the Municipality of Rovescala and is located in a fascinating period cellar with barrel vaults, near the Town Hall. This evocative environment has been carefully restored to house a collection of tools and objects related to life in the fields, in particular to the winemaking tradition of the Oltrepò Pavese.

The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through time, starting in the early decades of the 20th century and ending in the 1940s, bringing back the scent of the everyday life of farming families.

Between ‘previ’ and ‘brente’: objects that speak

Among the objects on display are unique testimonies of rural life:

• the ‘previ’, a wooden contraption that was used to warm the bed, into which the ‘scaldina’ (also called ‘scaldena’) was inserted, still evocative of winter evenings in hillside villages;
• the ‘brenta’, a wooden container similar to a ‘gerla’, used to transport and measure wine.

They are simple objects, but full of meaning, that restore the gestures and rhythms of an agricultural world that has been profoundly transformed today, but is still alive in the memories of those who lived through those times.

A tribute to the winemaking vocation of Rovescala

Rovescala is a land of great wines, and the museum is a perfect ambassador of this. The location chosen is no coincidence: its proximity to the hills of Piacenza creates a favourable microclimate and a shared cultural identity reflected in the vines and knowledge handed down through generations.

Useful information for the visit

📍 The museum is located near the Town Hall in Rovescala (PV), in a restored former cellar.
🕰️ Opening hours and visits on request at the municipal offices.
♿ Check accessibility for the disabled on site.
🚗 Rovescala can be reached by car via the SP201 and is about 20 minutes from Stradella.

Agricultural Museum over the centuries in Rovescala

Agricultural Museum over the centuries in Rovescala – The Oltresentieri Canal by Giovanni Portinari