Museo Civico della Paglia
Work tools and hats on display, testifying to an ancient artisan tradition
Signa's Museo della Paglia (Museum of Straw) is located in the former Carabinieri police Barracks on Viale Mazzini and was created with a view to the architectural and environmental redevelopment of the city.
The famous “straw hat of Florence” owes its fame to Domenico Michelacci himself, who, in the early 18th century, started the production of straw on an industrial scale: thus, until the 1950s, Signa became the center of the manufacture of hats made of this material.
The museum, which also hosts temporary exhibitions and events related to fashion and culture, brings together straw and woven objects in different materials, working tools and machines, historical photos and artworks, and a selection of hats from the late 19th century to 1970.
The new location of the Civic Straw Museum, inaugurated in June 2023, includes three levels - basement, ground floor and first floor - where not only straw hats but also various types of straw braids, bags, paintings, equipment and machinery are located: seven exhibition rooms entirely dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Signa history rooted in straw production. At the entrance is a large terracotta sculpture by Bruno Catarzi, under a roof of hats hanging from the ceiling.
The first exhibition room is dedicated to audiovisual: three ceiling-mounted video projectors play films, photographs and interviews. On the same level are two rooms devoted instead to temporary exhibitions, such as straw hats, bags and garments.
On the upper floor are three rooms devoted to permanent exhibitions with various machines - among them a “agugliatrice”, a tool with which, by vertical movement of the needles, compactness is given to the fiber mattress - paintings, candelabras, hats - both in display cases and hanging on the walls - mannequins for the display of clothing and glass vases to be used for educational experiences.
There is no shortage of a “selfie wall” for taking souvenir photos while wearing straw hats provided by the Museum.
Accessibility information: regione.toscana.it
