PAPAL PAPER MILL MUSEUM

The Papal Paper Mill represents and encloses some elements in itself that deeply characterizes the local territory. Built with travertine ashlars, the Papal Paper Mill overworked the Castellano stream race for the milling activities, paper production and tannery clothes for many centuries.

After many years of carelessness, the Province of Ascoli Piceno bought and restored the building, becoming a wonderful example of industrial archeology, unique in the territory.

Nowadays, it houses the Papal Paper Mill Museums, enriched in 2013 with the permanent exhibition “All the water of the world”, added to the Paper Museum and the Naturalistic historical Museum “Antonio Orsini”. It can be said that the Papal Paper Mill has become a very technological and scientific museum magnet.

Since January 2017, the Papal Paper Mill have haused the Contemporary History Library of Ascoli Piceno Province, named after Ugo Toria. For ten years the Library was included in SIP pole which collects 29 Libraries of Ascoli Piceno and Fermo Provinces. Specialized in Contemporary History, the Library stores about 18000 volums. You can also ask for book loans, even through Libraries. It also has confortable rooms. People working there can give you professional services, they also organize culture promotional activities.

THE PAPER MUSEUM
The monumental building of the Paper Museums houses the machines copies which was used for the grinding and paper handmade manufacturing, in the past. Thanks to an itinerary of images, videos and sounds, it is possible to follow again the water race that, through a very interesting but complex engineering system of bacins and sluices, moved the mills with its hydraulic strength for the grinding and then the hammers. The last ones were used for the rags hanging for the paper pulp. The ancient and suggestive mill and the Paper Museum rooms let you know and go into the work processing knowledge.

THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION “ALL THE WATER OF THE WORLD”
“All the water of the world” multimedial placements want to show the water importance in the human activities developments, in landscapes changes and innovations also in the Piceno history, thanks to images, informative panels, documentaries and interactive quizzies. After the visit to this multimedial museum, you can think about the future of this precious resource and the necessary hydric saving.

THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM “ANTONIO ORSINI”
Placed on the 3rd floor, the naturalistic collection, which was Antonio Orsini’s property  (scientist and chemist 1778 – 1870), conserves a very rich variety of finds: minerals, shells and plants exposed in the 17th century original storecases.

ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES
The Papal Paper Mill Museums offer guided tours, didactic services for schools and cultural programs for all ages and necessities. The building also houses a multimedial room with 99 seats for congress meetings, workshops  and formative activities.

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