Proposals for schools
The Ecomuseum for the school!
The Ecomuseum promotes educational activities, for schools of all levels, focusing on the energy resources of our mountains and the themes developed by the various itineraries of which it is composed.
Outdoor trails, museum visits, hands-on and creative workshops, fascinating demonstrations of ancient crafts, and more-each experience can be custom-built and tailored to the age of the participants, the time available, and the interests and needs of the classes.
Natural ice: when there was no refrigerator
Together with Ecomuseum guides, walk the trail from Le Piastre to the Madonnina Glacier, immersing yourself in the forest and discovering naturalistic curiosities along the way.
Get an up-close look at the ingenious system of weirs, gore, and calle once used to produce natural ice, and later, inside the Icehouse, trace the history and hard work of the glaciersmen through period photos, themed music, and sculptures.
The experience also gives the opportunity to learn more about other topics, such as food preservation and proto-industrial activities in the Rhine Valley.
Blacksmith for a day
To really understand the blacksmith's craft and how his store works, the best thing is to try stepping into his shoes for a day!
At theMaresca Old Ironworks, walk along a path to see and understand, following the Maresca stream for a short distance, how the water intake works.
Next, inside the factory, try your hand at the art of shaping iron, together with an expert beater.
Pan di legno e vin di nuvoli
In Orsigna, the Chestnut and Coal Road takes you to the metato and Giamba Mill to learn about all stages of chestnut processing, from fruit to sweet flour-the water-powered mill is set in motion for you!
Then look for the charcoal maker's hut, which along with the educational charcoal kiln, shows you the dedication and fine care, which required the production of charcoal.
Along the path, be sure to look carefully at the two wooden bridges, built following the method described by Leonardo da Vinci.
Fossils and minerals: the secrets of our Earth
Visit the exhibition The Spiral of Time at Palazzo Achilli in Gavinana, viewing interesting mineral samples live and studying their characteristics and properties, such as fluorescence.
Step back in time by admiring ammonites, amazing fossils of marine organisms that went extinct 65 million years ago.
After learning more about the natural history of the area at the Pistoia Apennine Archaeological Nature Museum, have fun experimenting with the processes of mineral and fossil formation and try making realistic fossils with your own hands.
