The Pellegro Mill in Casanova Staffora: a living museum of flour and rural civilisation

In the Upper Staffora Valley, where the Lombardy Apennines meet the history of the Four Provinces, Santa Margherita di Staffora guards a small rural treasure: the Pellegro Mill, now converted into an educational museum. It is located in the hamlet of Casanova Staffora, surrounded by greenery and just a few steps from the stream that for centuries fed the large red wheel that is still visible and in perfect working order.

A spinning wheel since the Middle Ages

The Pellegro Mill has very ancient origins: the first traces of its existence date back to 1275. But it was in 1835, thanks to Pellegro Negruzzi, that the mill entered the documented history of the valley. Even today, the Negruzzi family name is still linked to this symbolic place, returned to the community with the 2004 restoration, which transformed the old mill into an extraordinary museum of agricultural work.

The beating heart of rural civilisation

At one time, the mill was not only the place where flour – the essential basis for bread and daily foodstuffs – was produced, but also a meeting point for the community. Business was done here, news was exchanged, relationships were built. To visit the Pellegro Mill today is to enter the everyday life of our grandparents, amidst slow gestures, the sound of millstones and the smell of freshly crushed wheat.

Millstones, corn, wheat and living memory

The museum preserves the original millstones intact: one for wheat and one for corn. The agricultural machines are still in perfect working order, powered by an ingenious hydraulic system that channels water directly from the Staffora stream. The large red wheel is the visual symbol of this rural architectural complex, which stands next to historic buildings that once served as housing and storage.

Inside, in addition to the mill installations, agricultural tools and household utensils are on display that authentically tell the story of life in the past. This is not just a static exhibition, but an engaging educational experience, capable of fascinating children, rural history enthusiasts and tourists in search of authenticity.

Useful information for the visit

• Name: Pellegro Mill – Educational Museum of Flour Production
• Location: Casanova Staffora, Santa Margherita di Staffora (PV)
• Foundation of the museum: 2004 (restoration of the original facility dating back to 1275)
• Visits: by appointment only – contact the caretaker (contact details available from the municipality)
• Accessibility: the site is in a rural area, check in advance for architectural barriers
• How to get there: from Varzi or Brallo di Pregola, follow the signs for Santa Margherita di Staffora and then for Casanova; the mill is located along the small road to Castellaro, near the stream.

Casanova Staffora, Flour Production Didactic Museum, Pellegro Mill

The Oltresentieri channel of Giovanni Portinari