The Magazzino dei Ricordi in Zavattarello: an authentic journey through the daily life of the Oltrepò Pavese

Cascina Mirani, in Zavattarello, houses a unique museum: the Magazzino dei Ricordi, a true immersion in the rural and artisanal past of the Oltrepò Pavese. This exhibition space, born from the initiative and passion of Virgilio Bruni, recounts more than a century of traditions, work and daily life, testifying to the history of human labour and ingenuity.

Cover image taken from Ministry of Culture website

A museum of folk memories

More than just a museum, the Magazzino dei Ricordi is an emotional journey through carefully recreated domestic environments and craft workshops, filled with authentic objects. The peasant kitchen, the tailor’s room, the barber shop, the school of yesteryear: each room brings to life familiar scenes from the past, with the power to surprise young people and move those who lived through those times.

Besides the domestic environment, there are craft workshops: the shoemaker, the blacksmith, the farrier and many others. Each room is a window into an everyday life made up of repeated gestures, hand tools, direct relationships with the material and the land. A simplicity that seems remote today, but which has much to teach about the value of work and time.

A cultural and educational project

The Magazzino dei Ricordi (Memories Warehouse) is managed by anon-profit culturalassociation, active since 2004 and registered in the provincial register. Its fundamental aim is the study and preservation of the rural and craft culture of the Oltrepò in the 19th and 20th centuries, with a particular focus on the civic and social education of the younger generations.

Through events, workshops and tours, the association proposes to return to the essential by providing opportunities to encounter and reflect on a recent but distant past, capable of enriching the present and building a more conscious future.

A legacy to protect

A visit to the Magazzino dei Ricordi does not just mean viewing objects from the past: it means touching local history, understanding the roots of the community and recognising the value of memory. In an age dominated by speed and technology, this museum represents a cultural haven, where the slowness of everyday gestures comes back to life as a precious heritage to be passed on.

Image taken from the Museum of Memories website

Useful information

📍 Magazzino dei Ricordi – Museum of art, culture and agriculture
📌 Location Cascina Mirani – 27059 Zavattarello (PV)
🏛️ Managed by theCulturalAssociation Magazzino dei Ricordi (active since 2004, non-profit organisation)
The museum can be visited by appointment. Contact the association for guided tours, activities and workshops.
Website: www.magazzinodeiricordi.org
Facebook: facebook.com/magazzinodeiricordizavattarello