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| The Schio & Alto Vicentino open-air museum of industrial archeology |
| The Schio & Alto Vicentino open-air museum of industrial archaeology, promoted by the Teachers' Centre for Democratic Initiative together with the Schio Administration Office for Education and Culture, has followed the experience of the open-air museum developed in England and in other European countries, and especially what has been done in France regarding conservation and exploitation of the historical cultural and environmental patrimony by the creation of the ecomusée. The exhibition features the industrial monuments and remains of material culture widespread throughout the area which includes the towns of Schio, Torrebelvicino, Valli del Pasubio, Santorso, Piovene Rocchette, Marano Vicentino, S. Vito di Leguzzano, Malo, and extends towards Valdagno, Thiene, Isola Vicentina, Villaverla and Breganze. The open-air museum provides a series of structured itineraries mainly centred around Schio, devised by experts from the Schio Teachers' Centre for Democratic Initiative, with the intention of giving visitors the opportunity of firsthand exploration and study of industrial civilisation and the revolution it was generated by, in terms of history, economy, society, technology, science, environment, town planning, art etc. The Reception Centre and Industrial Archaeology Educational Laboratory of the museum are run by the Schio CIDI, which is specialised in the study of material culture and industrial patrimony. |
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The laboratory offers educational and cultural support to schools and organised adult groups.The open-air museum itineraries are more or less centred on Schio and concern Wool Mills, Workers’ Neighbourhoods, particularly the one in Schio, the Jacquard Garden, Monuments, Canals, Sawmills, Corn Mills, Forges, Hydroelectric Power Stations, Silk Mills, Mining - at the Tretto Kaolin Plant and the Italcementi Cement Factory in Schio - the Saccardo Factory, Alessandro Rossi’s Villa, Park and Model Farm in Santorso, the Industrial Village, the Summano Brewery and the Barattoni Pasta Factory in Piovene Rocchette etc. These may involve one or more themes and have been worked out by the experts from the Schio Teachers’ Centre for Democratic Initiative with the intention of giving visitors an idea of the variety of the ancient proto-industrial and industrial settlements in the area, and in particular, allowing students and teachers to take part in an active study of industrial civilisation and the revolution it was generated by (in terms of history, economy, society, art, architectonics, technology, science, geography, town planning etc.) while immersed within a rich and extraordinary patrimony of evidence of manual work. In conclusion, these itineraries represent ideas for field studies and industrial archaeological trips for all those who are interested in the events connected with the work of man and its physical, social and economic expression. |
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| Wool Route |
This itinerary includes visits to the most significant wool mills along the banks of the Maestra Canal and relative residential areas.
It begins with the Conte Wool Mill (1757) and continues with the large complex of the Francesco Rossi Wool Mill (1817, 1849 and later), then Marzotto, characterised by the imposing mass of the Fabbrica Alta (1862) of Belgian origin and by the eclectic Jacquard Garden (1859 -1878). |
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Having visited the New Workers’ Neighbourhood (1872-1890 ca.), conceived by Alessandro Rossi and designed by Antonio Caregaro Negrin as a ‘garden town’, we reach the Cazzola Wool Mill (1860), a real textile museum even though it is still operating, flanked by the owners’ small villa and the workers’ houses. Leaving behind the Canal and Schio, the route can be enriched by a visit to the Marzotto Wool Mill and the ‘social town ’ in Valdagno or else a visit to the Ferrarin Wool Mill in Thiene.
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| Rossian Route |
| The most important stages of Alessandro Rossi’s industrial, town- planning, social and cultural project can be followed by visiting the Francesco Rossi Wool Mill (1817, 1849 and later) with its annexe the Fabbrica Alta (1862) and the adjacent Jacquard Garden (1859-1878), and then moving on to the New Workers’ Neighbourhood to admire the different kinds of dwellings (small villas and workers’ houses), services (schools, theatre, church etc.) and monuments. On a European level, the most emblematic example is the Monument to the Weaver (1879), presently in Piazza A. Rossi, which is to be moved to a site near the Fabbrica Alta in the future. Alessandro Rossi’s neo-Pompeian Villa with its majestic late-Romantic Park (1865-1880) and annexed Model Farm (1882-1884) are situated in Santorso between the Leogra and Astico Valleys. |
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The route continues towards Piovene Rocchette, where interesting evidence of Rossi’s industrial Village (1869-1882 ca.) remain. Finally we reach the picturesque Summano Brewery (1873), with its valuable antique copper machinery.
The Barattoni Pasta Factory (1879), now disused, is worth a visit before leaving Piovene. Back in Schio, if you wish, we can proceed to Pievebelvicino where to observe the remains of the Rossi heavy cloth processing Complex (1870-73) and the Workers’ Neighbourhood.
Finally we reach Torrebelvicino where we can find, even though their use has been changed, the monumental Rossi Works (1873) and the small Workers’ Neighbourhood. |
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| Water and Power Route |
This route helps the visitor understand the close relationship between water and hydraulics machinery as energy sources. Having visited the Cavedon Sawmill with its water wheel still operating on the Maestra Canal, we continue on towards Progresso locality, in Schio's Tretto, where we can see the Saccardo Factory (1892). This factory with its imposing multi-storey structure, which at one time produced shuttles and cardboard spools for the wool mills, was recovered in 1991 by a group of craftsmen, members of the ‘Consorzio Progresso’ (Progresso Association). A visit here provides insight into an intelligent approach to the re-use of an important industrial monument, as well as a view of the annexed Hydroelectric Power Station, a real museum of the electric power.
In Schio, after a visit at the Dalla Vecchia Sawmill , we can visit the ‘Mulino’ Hydroelectric Power Station constructed in 1889 to provide electric power for the Schio community. |
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The route proceeds to Pievebelvicino where remains the Rillaro Hydroelectric Power Station, and towards Torrebelvicino with the Hydroelectric Power Station annexed to the unusual Rossi Works (1873). Further up the valley, we find the Lanerossi, later Marzotto, Hydroelectric Power Stations at Ponte delle Capre (1889-1908) and Ressalto (1880 -1895 - 1906) in the Torrebelvicino area, and the two Cazzola Wool Mill Hydroelectric Power Stations (1930 and 1925 respectively) at Chiumenti and Ceolati in Valli del Pasubio. The Miola Sawmill at Gisbenti in Valli del Pasubio is worth a visit . Back in Schio the visit of the hydraulics machinery can go on going to Breganze where is still working the well known Tamiello Forge. |
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| Maestra Canal Route |
| The itinerary follows the course of the Maestra Canal (Roggia Maestra) (1250 ca.), the protagonist of the proto-industrial and industrial development in the Leogra Valley. Beginning in Torrebelvicino it flows, just passed the Rillaro Hydroelectric Power Station, into the Schio area across the iron Ponte Canale (Canal Bridge) (1883) and along its banks we can see the Dalla Vecchia Sawmill, now disused, the Cazzola, Rossi and Conte Wool mills, the evocative Cavedon Sawmill with its water wheel still operating, the Cavedon, Zambon and Calderato Corn Mills and the former Savardo Hydroelectric Power Station. |
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In the historical centre of Schio, the Canal creates picturesque spots in Largo Fusinelle, between the buildings of the Conte Wool Mill , and in Vicolo Pilastro where it used to power the turbines of the former mill belonging to the De Lorenzi Pasta Factory. Are worth a visit also the remains of the Grendene Mill in via Paraiso, particularly for the lock system. |
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| Mining Route |
| We can explore the technological evolution in mining by visiting in Schio Italcementi Cement Factory and theTretto Kaolin Mining Plant (1909 and later). |
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The route includes several kilns in the area of San Vito di Leguzzano, Malo , Isola Vicentina and Villaverla - particularly the SILMA Kiln il Malo and the Trevisan Kiln in Villaverla - and the Museum of Bricklaying in Malo.
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| Wool and Silk Route |
This route offers direct contact with the more important monuments of industrial civilisation by following the entwined threads of wool and silk.
The visit begins in Schio with the famous Rossi Wool Mill (1817 -1849 and later) the Fabbrica Alta (1862) and the picturesque Jacquard Garden (1859 -1878), then continues on to the Cazzola Wool Mill (1860), still operating within the evocative atmosphere of the ancient sawtooth-roof pavilions dominated by the lofty chimney.
Other similar vertical structures indicate the presence of the ancient silk mills which characterise the area |
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from Schio, where the excellent re-use of the nineteenth-century Bressan Silk Mill as an Old People’s Home can be admired in the Magrè neighbourhood, to Isola Vicentina, with the splendid former Bonazzi Silk Mill. In Malo, the real silk capital, a visit should be made to the remains of the Maule Massignan Silk Mill, as well as to the former Corielli Silk Mill, where the interesting Museum of the arts of Silk-making has been opened for educational purposes, and is housed in the owner’s residence now belonging to the municipality. |
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| To book guided visits to the open-air museum, contact: |
• Centro di Iniziativa Democratica degli Insegnanti
(CIDI ) di Schio
Laboratorio didattico di archeologia industriale di Schio
Palazzo Asilo Rossi, Via Pasubio 92, 36015 SCHIO (VICENZA)
Tel e Fax 0445/529554 (usare possibilmente il fax)
e-mail: cidischio@avnet.it
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• Assessorato alla Pubblica Istruzione e Cultura
del Comune di Schio
Palazzo Garbin, Piazza Statuto, 36015 SCHIO (VICENZA)
Tel. 0445/691276
N.B.: Le visite sono possibili previa autorizzazione dei proprietari dei manufatti d'interesse archeologico-industriale.
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HOTEL NUOVO MIRAMONTI
Via Marconi, 3 - 36015 SCHIO (Vi) Italia
tel. 0445.529900 - fax 0445.528134 - email: info@hotelmiramonti.com
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