Vasì at the MUST

The museum

The MUST, the Museum of History and Traditions, opened on 15 June 2024 and is Montegranaro’s first municipal museum. It stands in the old town, in the former Augustinian convent, and tells in seven sections how the town moved from a mostly agricultural economy to shoemaking: from the workshops of master craftsmen to industry.

The display is modern and multimedia. Many of the objects were donated by local families and private citizens. The director is Alessandra Levantesi, head of the town’s culture department; the project and the installation are by Tu.ris.marche and Kryos. Mayor Endrio Ubaldi called the opening “a historic date” for Montegranaro.

Vasì’s workshop

Among the museum’s staged reconstructions, next to a typical countryside house, is the “Bottega di Vasì”: the town remembers Basilio Testella as a “historic craftsman of Montegranaro”.

The idea came from the family. In 2020 his son Mauro asked the town for a space to exhibit his father’s tools and materials: “It’s a pity that all this material stays shut in his small workshop,” he told Il Resto del Carlino. The plan at the time was to rebuild the workshop “in every detail”, with tools, machines, materials and documents, including some tools Basilio made himself. The then deputy mayor Ubaldi spoke of “a corner of history in the heart of the town”.

It is a natural sequel to what Basilio did every day: keeping the workshop door open to anyone who wanted to watch, learn, or have a chat. Now the door belongs to a museum.

Visiting

The MUST is run by the Culture Office of the Municipality of Montegranaro. For opening hours, guided tours and bookings write to cultura@comune.montegranaro.fm.it, call +39 0734 897932 or see comune.montegranaro.fm.it. Hours may change through the year, so check before you go.