Located in Chianale, in the ancient church of the Capuchins, who worked in the valley during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Museum was inaugurated on 13th September 2008.
The inauguration marked the end of a long and delicate rebuilding project. The collections displayed document the female costumes of the valley, which are among the most lavish of the western Alps and, in particular, the costume of the upper Varaita Valley. In this region, until recent times, the dress was the clearest way of expressing a woman’s “situation” in its multiple aspects including her social and family position, her age, possible bereavement….. and as a reference to the calendar – work days, holidays, carnival, Lent…
The museum organises internships and workshops.
