Guardabosone – The living museum village

On a scenic hill between Valsesia and Valsessera rises Guardabosone, a small village known as the “Living Museum Village”. Despite its small size, it offers as many as four museums, a botanical garden and a typical medieval core. Dating back to the year 1000, its medieval traces can still be recognised in the walls and characteristic enclosed courtyards.

In addition to the Museum of Sacred Art, Guardabosone is home to the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Museum of Ancient Crafts and Agricultural Activities, the House of Crafts and the Pier Carlo Bussi Botanical Garden. The latter stands on a hill, and was founded in 1989 by a small group of medicinal herb enthusiasts for educational, scientific and flora conservation purposes, in particular aromatic and healing herbs. Around four hundred varieties of plants, both ornamental and large-stemmed, as well as numerous species of medicinal plants can be found here. The Botanical Garden has recently also become an ornithological station.

The Natural History Museum was established by Carlo Locca who, over a period of fifty years, brought together Stone Age artefacts and hundreds of stuffed animals in his collection. The museum also includes an outdoor park area with ostriches, llamas, fallow and roe deer, as well as an old wine cellar and a core of medieval and late 19th century buildings.

The Museum of Ancient Crafts and Agricultural Activities offers a journey into the ancient traditions of the farming world. Tools formerly used to manually spin and weave hemp, and for the production of walnut oil are preserved here.

The House of Crafts, on the other hand, is a typical wooden building with a loggia. It presents the traditional tools of the old craftsmen’s workshops, such as the tinsmith, blacksmith, knife-grinder, cobbler and carpenter. One of the five largest entomological collections in the world is located here, and stretches over the upper floors of the building.