Newsletter

The month of November saw us back in Lugano for the third edition of Evento Artigiano, organized by Aticrea - Associazione Ticinese Artigiani Artisti, from November 8th to 10th at the historic Villa Ciani. For the occasion we set up a space dedicated to the excellence of Aosta Valley textiles, presenting the works of the main local artisans and dividing the exhibition area into four thematic zones. The spaces of the Les Dentellières, Les Tisserands and Lou Dzeut cooperatives presented both the processing tools (looms, bobbins) and various artifacts, some more traditional and others born from new ideas and experiments....

Like every year, the MAV-Museo dell'Artigianato Valdostano di Tradizione is closed to the public in November to dedicate itself to its heritage. This autumn month is in fact dedicated to the care of the collections: the works of the museum are subjected to control, cleaning and maintenance conservation interventions. The task of every museum is certainly to enhance and disseminate culture and make its collections accessible, but it is first and foremost to take care of its heritage. The latter belongs to the community and it is a duty for a museum to commit to their protection....

From 8 to 10 November Lugano will host Evento Artigiano, a special initiative dedicated to craftsmanship, art and creativity. In this third edition, which will take place in the historic and fascinating Villa Ciani, L'Artisanà will be present as a guest of honor, contributing to a continuous and productive dialogue between our reality and Ticino: it is in fact the second participation in the event and follows the success of the 2023 edition in which two wood craftsmen from the Aosta Valley had recounted their entrepreneurial experience....

Sunday 13 October sees the return of FAMU – National Day of Families at the Museum, a great celebration for children, museums and culture. A day in which parents and children can enjoy museums throughout Italy with educational activities, themed games and ad hoc proposals and can rediscover the territory in which they live in a conscious and fun way. The MAV – Museum of Traditional Aosta Valley Crafts also participates in this event and offers an afternoon dedicated to play and the discovery of craftsmanship with proposals for adults and children....

A new ceramist joins the IVAT contributors! Raised between Gressoney and Gaby in a family of skiers, Chiara is a young ski instructor with a degree in Business Languages. Her passion for skiing is accompanied by another love: ceramics. It started with the challenge of creating a set of plates and then as a hobby, Chiara then decided to turn her passion into a job....

This year too, MAV is taking part in Plasirs de Culture, the event organised by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Education System and Policies for Intergenerational Relations in conjunction with the European Heritage Days. The cultural event, which will take place from 14 to 22 September 2024 in various locations in the Aosta Valley, has as its theme the Heritage of networks, routes and connections and invites everyone to reflect on the specific itinerary identity of our regional territory of which artisanal productions are the mirror. During the whole week the MAV is open to the public free...

The project, born on the initiative of Skyway Monte Bianco in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta and L'Artisanà, compared the world of craftsmanship with that of design. Inserting itself in the wake of the dialogue with the latter, already started in 2023, the initiative brought some Valle d'Aosta artisans selected by L'Artisanà to confront an internationally renowned designer, Matteo Ragni, winner of two Compasso d'Oro, the oldest and most prestigious industrial design award in the world. The project was presented at the Atelier des Métiers at Saint Ours in January 2024, while the prototypes were unveiled on...

Summer educational activities for families are going great! Every Wednesday and Friday, morning and afternoon, the museum welcomes families into its educational spaces and offers educational activities where children can experience artisanal workmanship. In the museum's Educational Joinery, a unique creative-educational space, children can experiment with the use of real tools for working wood or learn to weave wool like "real" craftsmen. The third appointment with the Atelier Forêt is also scheduled for Saturday 24 August: from the forest to the sawmill. Children and their families are invited to a workshop in the woods to rediscover contact with raw materials,...

From 1 to 4 August, the historic centre of Aosta will host Orsoff, a one-of-a-kind exhibition-event that stems from the concept of "fuori fiera" (hence -off) and is an alternative and complementary project to the 55th Foire d'été. The main objective is to connect art and craftsmanship, offering a new light to the artistic side of craftsmanship and encouraging dialogue between artists and artisans. The event is promoted and supported by our Department and created together with Studio SeghesioGrivon, the Inarttendu Cultural Association and the graphic designer Pier Francesco Grizi. Orsoff takes the form of an exhibition spread across approximately...

Starting from Sunday 7th July, the MAV – Museo dell'Artigianato Valdostano di Tradizionale will be hosting the exhibition “Spirito Montano, scultori valdostani raccontano”. The exhibition aims to narrate the mountain through emotions and images that find expression in wood and stone thanks to the fine craftsmanship of professional Aosta Valley sculptors. The peculiarity of this exhibition is that it is a gallery exhibition in which the works on display, which are all unique pieces, can be purchased by visitors. This is the first time that the museum has organized a gallery exhibition with the aim of supporting those who have...

Since June 7th, our stores have officially reopened for the summer season. Come and discover our latest innovations such as naturally dyed yarns, elegant leather bags and wooden works: each piece is unique and tells a story of dedication and craftsmanship. The scent of wood and the softness of hand-worked fabrics will inspire you and we invite you to live an immersive experience between the beauty of our mountains and the creations of local craftsmanship. We look forward to seeing you in our stores in Ayas, Cogne and Courmayeur!...

The Atelier Forêt is the educational novelty of summer 2024. Between June and September, the museum organizes a series of educational events in nature (outside the museum) to explore the territory, rediscover contact with raw materials and practice manual skills. An opportunity to discover the woods of the Aosta Valley, experience nature and "do crafts" taking inspiration from the natural context. 4 events are planned between June and September with different themes of exploration of the relationship between nature and gestures: June 15 from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm in Trois-Villes (Quart): "CREAture in nature"...

We are thrilled to announce that we have a new entry at L'Artisanà: Fiori, Fili e Colori by Ilaria Brunet! Ilaria brings with her a passion for dyeing plants that has been rooted since childhood, which she now uses to create real creations. What began as a passion in 2020 has transformed into a tangible project, becoming for Ilaria not just a job, but an authentic lifestyle....

May 18th is International Museum Day, a day dedicated to places of culture promoted by ICOM since 1977. The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of the role of museums as a means of exchange, cultural enrichment and cooperation. On this day, MAV is offering a game to experience the museum in a fun and exciting way. All visitors are invited to participate in Escape MAV by solving clues and puzzles to learn about the crafts and collections on display. An invitation to experience the museum in a new way to discover how fun a place of culture...

We are very excited to announce that we will be participating in two events during Milan Design Week, which will be held from April 15 to 21, to present the Amitié project. Amitié is the result of a fruitful collaboration between several talented professional artisans from the Aosta Valley and the internationally renowned designer Matteo Ragni, and has seen us involved together with Skyway Monte Bianco and our reference Department in the Territory Attractiveness, Internationalization and Traditional Crafts Structure. The project focused on a reworking of the friendship cup, starting from a reflection on the importance of sharing and the...

The MAV – Museo dell'Artigianato Valdostano di Tradizionale adheres to Disegniamo l'arte, the initiative of Abbonamento Musei to help children and their families discover museums through drawing and creativity. The appointment is for Sunday, April 7, when young visitors are invited to participate in a creative observation workshop of the museum and its objects. Starting from a poster, children will have to reveal a character among the heritage exhibited at the MAV and then place it in its natural, museum or imaginary environment....

ArtigianImpresa is a project born in 2022 with the aim of providing free consultancy to those interested in the traditional Aosta Valley craftsmanship sector. The first edition of the project allowed girls and boys under 30 interested in the field to participate in various personalized meetings with the aim of transforming their passion into a real job and led to the opening of five new young businesses, three of which also became L'Artisanà suppliers. Furthermore, it also supported already active artisans for a total of 25 total businesses involved....

Educational activities have always been of great importance to the MAV. In the museum's educational workshops, children learn about materials, techniques and craft objects, experimenting first-hand with manual craftsmanship. Here's what we have planned for March: Every Wednesday of the month - March 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm - the museum offers "Gufetti, guardians of the forest", a workshop to learn how to work wool and weave on a loom. Inspired by the nature that surrounds us, children create a colorful owl with wool. A fun way to exercise fine motor skills and experiment...

After the great work done by the artisans in preparation for the Sant'Orso Fair, the month of February marks the beginning of the deliveries of products for the new year. In these days, the IVAT artisans will begin to bring their new objects to L'Artisanà and you will soon be able to find them at our stores in Aosta, Ayas, Cogne and Courmayeur and at our corners. There will certainly be no shortage of objects that are symbols of our tradition, such as friendship cups, grolle, wood and stone sculptures and fabrics hand-made by the textile cooperatives of the region....

February is the month of Carnival and the MAV-Museo dell'Artigianato Valdostano traditionally dedicates the educational offer of the month to this festivity. Carnival is a celebration with ancient origins and has always represented a moment of aggregation and fun for the community and, above all, for the little ones. Every Wednesday of the month there is the program “Carnevale al MAV”, a workshop of Educational Carpentry dedicated to the figures of the traditional carnivals of the Aosta Valley: the Beuffon of Courmayeur, the counts Caterina and Pierre of Verrès, the carnival bear of Coumba Freida, the devil of Pont-Saint-Martin....

On the occasion of Saint Ours, at the Atelier des Métiers in Piazza Chanoux, in the space reserved for L'Artisanà, the new initiative born from the collaboration between L'Artisanà, the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta and Skyway Monte Bianco will be presented. This project brings some artisans from the Aosta Valley to meet an internationally renowned designer, Matteo Ragni, winner of two Compasso d'Oro, the oldest and most prestigious industrial design award in the world, already in contact with Skyway Monte Bianco. The opening of the comparison between craftsmanship and design has allowed us to develop new reflections on the...

The year starts off in style at the MAV Educational Carpentry! Every Wednesday afternoon in January, the museum offers "Tutti in Fiera con Sant'Orso", a workshop dedicated to the legendary saint. Young participants can discover stories and legends about the character of Sant'Orso and then create, like "real craftsmen", a small wooden sculpture of the saint themselves. The activities are aimed at children aged 3 to 12 and cost €8 per child with the option of a subscription. Reservations required at www.lartisana.vda.it/biglietti....

Christmas is upon us: lights on, the scent of hot chocolate, decorations that decorate houses and streets... in this festive atmosphere, L'Artisanà remains a point of reference for giving a traditional gift! At the Boutiques in Aosta, Ayas, Cogne and Courmayeur and at the corners in Bard, Fénis, La Thuile, Pré-Saint-Didier, Saint Pierre, Skyway Monte Bianco, Torgnon and Villeneuve you can be inspired by numerous gift ideas. Whether you're young or old, no one can resist the charm of hand-made objects! A warm wool blanket, a soft pair of boiled wool slippers, hand-woven hemp textile accessories, an elaborate bobbin lace...