What is an Ecomuseum

The ecomuseum is much more than a museum: it is a living covenant between the community and its territory.

The term Ecomuseum was first used in 1970 by Hugues de Varine During a meeting in France.

The purpose of an ecomuseum is to collect, preserve and enhance the cultural heritage and identity of a community, made up of history, people, places, traditions, arts and crafts.

Georges Henri Rivière clearly and effectively expressed the peculiarities that distinguish the ecomuseum, emphasizing how it represents a real pact by which a community takes care of its territory: interprets it, protects it and passes it on to future generations.

"The ecomuseum is a mirror where people look at themselves, to recognize themselves in it, where they look for explanations of the territory to which they are linked, combined with those of the people who preceded them, in the discontinuity or continuity of generations."

This view highlights how the ecomuseum is a'living, participatory experience, an evolving process that focuses on the deep connection between the community and its territory, promoting identity, memory and cultural sustainability.