Malo: Art, Craft and Local History

Malo brings together graphic art, the history of materials and crafts, and sacred architecture. Its themes range from contemporary works to silk processing and the history of a mask-making workshop. The old parish church of Santa Libera also offers a distinctive perspective on the town’s art history.

Museums of Graphic Art, Silk, and Masks

The Museo Casabianca permanently displays graphic works by contemporary artists from the 1960s to the 1990s. More than 1,200 works by 700 artists are on display; the museum’s activities date back to 1978. The collection thus brings together a clearly defined period of work and a longer museum history. Featuring works by hundreds of artists, it focuses on more than a single body of work.

At the Museo dell’Arte Serica e Laterizia, the silk section covers three consecutive steps: growing mulberry trees, silkworm farming, and reeling silk. The subject therefore encompasses both the agricultural foundation and the processing. The brick section takes a different focus: it includes artifacts documenting the use of clay since the Neolithic period. The museum thus brings together a specific sequence of silk production and a history of materials stretching far back in time.

The Museo Mondonovo Maschere offers another perspective on craftsmanship. The historic Venetian Mondonovo papier-mâché mask workshop was moved in its entirety to Malo and converted into a museum workshop. From September 25, 2011, the Museo Mondonovo Maschere made 250 works, 500 molds, a library and archive collection, as well as tools, antiques, and furniture available to the public. This historical display therefore includes both finished works and molds and tools.

Church and Other Travel Interests

The Chiesa di Santa Libera complements the museum themes with architecture and sculpture. It is Malo’s old parish church; its structure was renovated between 1721 and 1897. The church contains a stone Madonna and Child from the workshop of Bernardino and Tommaso del Pedemuro. Santa Libera thus offers a way to distinguish the history of a building from the attribution of an individual work of art.

As part of its educational farm program, Fattoria La Greppia offers guided tours. Its farm shop sells its own Agri-yogurts and Agri-desserts. The tours represent the educational side of the business, while its farm-made products offer a culinary aspect. You can consider these as two distinct travel interests.

In the area around Molina di Malo, trails along a river are suitable for hiking and cycling. Both activities offer a way to add time outdoors to your trip; trail conditions should be factored into your plans before setting out. If you are looking for a hotel in Malo, the museums and the history of Santa Libera can provide a cultural point of reference for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Montecchio Maggiore-Alte Ceccato, Asiago, Primolano, Enego, Valstagna, Mussolente, Caldogno and Mossano.

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