The Museum of Woodworking in the village of Forno in Valstrona displays an extensive collection of wooden articles.

The Museum owes its existence to an elderly local woodturner who collected a historic set of woodturning lathes, from the pole lathe to the treadle lathe, and the most up to date types operated by hydraulic or electric power.

Along with the set of lathes is a collection of tools and wooden articles typical of the production of the Valley: combs, flutes and other small musical instruments, household articles, ornaments, and a large variety of wooden toys, including the famous Pinocchio. The collection illustrates the history of the “gràta gàmul”, as the Valle Strona wood craftsmen were known in the local dialect.

Production once concentrated on kitchen articles such as wooden spoons, but now focuses more on Pinocchio, the famous wooden puppet, and a huge range of articles now made in almost a hundred cottage industries in the Cusio area.

Of all the crafts still practised in the Alps,  the woodturning activity of Valstrona can be regarded as one of the most outstanding.

Comune di Valstrona
+39 0323 87117
municipio@comune.valstrona.vb.it
www.comune.valstrona.vb.it