Nello Cassata Ethnohistory Museum, history museum in Sicily
The Nello Cassata Ethnohistory Museum is an ethnographic museum in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto housed in a large late-1800s building. The collection contains about 3000 objects, including reconstructed craft workshops, traditional household items, tools, and early machines that document daily life and work in Sicily.
The museum opened to the public in 1995, based on collections begun by Nello Cassata, a lawyer and cultural enthusiast who started gathering Sicilian objects in the mid-1900s. His son Franco, a high-level court official, helped expand the collection until its opening by the Oikos Institute.
The museum displays how local people in Sicily lived and worked across generations. The exhibits preserve traditional crafts and customs that continue to shape life in the region today.
The museum is located near the center of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and is easy to reach. It is best to check current opening hours before your visit, as these may change during local holidays and special events.
The collection began with an unusual object: small wooden spoons used by shepherds during mountain grazing. These modest beginnings grew into a comprehensive collection of about 3000 items that show the resourcefulness and adaptability of local people.
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