The civic museum of Campolieto, in the province of Campobasso, hosts the permanent exhibition “Drawing in the sky” which collects the tools and documentation of a prestigious local fireworks factory, active at the end of the 19th century. The museum have other sections, including one dedicated to the diffusion of new technologies in rural areas in the early 1900s.

The Civic Museum of Campolieto, born on the initiative of La Strina Cultural Circle, was created with the aim of collecting and preserving artistic and craft relics of the area, promoting local traditions thanks to numerous initiatives in the exhibition spaces. The permanent exhibition “Drawing in the Sky” greatly enriches the museum’s heritage, bringing to light tools and documents relating to the prized pyrotechnic laboratory of Francesco Paolo Paradiso and his son, active in Campolieto since the last years of the 19th century. These are mostly forms, chemical elements for explosives and technological material from the fascist era, also reported in the exhibition catalog by Luca Mariano.

The exhibition was born from the collaboration between La Strina, Francesco Marino and the carpenter artisan Michele Leccese, also involving young local volunteers and students in the preparation process. From the beginning, the project therefore aims to involve the new generations in a conscious and active rediscovery of local heritage. 3D viewers and special apps available on the museum’s tablets help visitors along the way and make the activity more captivating for children.

The Museum also presents a vast selection of ancient books published between the 1600s and 1900s together with the very rich section dedicated to the history of technological development in Molise rural areas with examples of radios, films, turntables and electrical systems in porcelain. Do not miss this place full of history.

Silvia Di Menna