ARTS AND CRAFTS: THIS IS HOW IT WAS DONE IN THE PAST

Initially housed at the original location of the Colombo Mill, the exhibition is being moved to the Conference Hall of the Court Theater of the Royal Villa of Monza.

Thea grand opening ceremony to be held Friday, February 27, 2026 at 5 p.m.

The new exhibition of the MEMB (Monza and Brianza Ethnological Museum) is not only a tribute to the past, but a celebration of the manual wisdom and ingenuity that has shaped our identity.
An itinerary dedicated to craft trades, those born and bred outside industrial logic, where personal skill and workshop creativity were the engine of a human-scale economy.

In the exhibition, a rich collection of  about 160 ancient objects and tools, patiently collected over the years by MEMB in the area, documents the work and history of 40 ancient artisan crafts.

Also on display is an extraordinary artifact that embellishes the exhibition itinerary: the Textile Iron Crown, a transposition of the highest craftsmanship that reproduces with precious yarn the gold and silver plates and gem-set gems of the original, represents the highest expression of manual "know-how."

The tour offers a comparison between historical documentation and visual reconstruction enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI does not replace memory but amplifies it, offering food for thought on the meaning of craftsmanship in the digital age.