Museo delle Attività di Trasformazione e del Latte - Lozzo di Cadore
Museum | Lozzo Di Cadore | Veneto | Italy
The Museum of Transformation Activities and Milk (MATeL) is located in the former building of the Latteria Sociale of Lozzo di Cadore, a dairy from the 1950s to 1960s. It was founded to preserve and present the importance of milk processing for the local community.
Main exhibition:
The main exhibition on the ground floor of the museum focuses on traditional milk processing. It showcases the various stages of milk processing from milking to the production of butter, cheese, and ricotta, to the storage and maturation of cheese. The collection includes historical and modern tools, complemented by explanatory panels, documents, and multimedia content. A special area is dedicated to Alpeggio, summer alpine pasture farming, with equipment for milk processing in the mountain pastures of Pian dei Buoi. Another room is dedicated to wood processing and displays miniature models of ancient water mills. The museum also houses the archive of the Latteria Sociale, which includes an extensive collection of correspondence, statistical analyses, and documents related to the management of the mountain pastures.
Additional exhibitions and activities:
The museum offers temporary exhibitions on various themes, including visual arts such as photography, painting, and wood and metal sculptures. Events such as conferences, courses, and show-cooking events are also organized to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. An innovative project aims to integrate digital technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to enhance visitor interaction, particularly targeting schools and families.
Roggia dei Mulini:
Another highlight of the museum is the Roggia dei Mulini, a significant example of industrial archaeology in the Cadore area. This historical waterway allowed for the operation of various craft businesses such as mills, forges, and weaving mills. A guided tour takes visitors along the restored mills, past the still functioning hydroelectric plant "Baldovin" from the early 1900s, providing insights into the industrial past of the region.
MATeL is a vibrant museum that not only preserves the history of milk processing and water power utilization but also actively contributes to the cultural and social development of the region.
