Thanks to the sustainable fashion revolution, alternative clothing materials, such as hemp itself, are starting to become increasingly popular. In fact, many brands, from the smallest to the largest chains, are increasingly curious to try out garments created from this incredible fabric. Despite this new fame acquired by hemp, we know that this material has a very long history behind it, with very ancient roots that take us back to the ancient folk traditions of our ancestors.
Fortunately, these great historical sources on the history of hemp and our popular history have not been lost, but have been collected by many volunteers, who constantly treasure them. Thanks to their efforts, it is possible to learn about the fantastic history of hemp in special places, such as the Hemp Museum, an Ecomuseum of the Umbrian Apennine Ridge, which is part of the 30 thematic museums dedicated to the theme of textiles and the art of weaving in the Valnerina (Umbria).
The Hemp Museum: Honouring the Past to Build the Future
The Hemp Museum is located right in the heart of Italy: in fact, we can find it in a small town, called 'Sant'Anatolia di Narco', in the province of Perugia, in the heart of the Apennines. In particular, the Museum is located in one of the main squares of the town's historic centre, in the sumptuous 16th century palace that also houses the Town Hall. In particular, the Hemp Museum constitutes one of the sections of a larger organisation, the Umbrian Apennine Ridge Ecomuseum.
The Ecomuseum is one of the most important realities in the area, spread throughout the Valnerina territory, and has a more than noble purpose: that of promoting the local cultural heritage, preserving local traditions and, in particular, the traditional local crafts. The Ecomuseum is composed of many different sections, from hemp and weaving to pork butchery, truffles and the surgical school, which help, through the use of museum exhibits and small craft workshops, to keep local culture alive.
But the most important and renowned section is certainly the Hemp Museum, which every year attracts many tourists and enthusiasts of the weaving culture, which is increasingly strong here in the Perugia area. The Hemp Museum, which also adheres to the programme 'Regional Museum System - safeguarding and valorisation of the connected cultural heritage', is just one of the many interconnected points that create the weave of the great Umbrian textile tradition, which spans every historical era and territory, so that ancient knowledge can be handed down to new generations, thus becoming immortal.
The Hemp Museum project is also a fundamental part of a beautiful project, called 'Musei che hanno Stoffa' (Museums that have Fabric), a project aimed at enhancing local museums interested in the world of fabrics, which was set up in 2008 in the municipalities of Spoleto and Sant'Anatolia di Narco, and promoted by the Umbria Region.
The history of hemp: how the weaving of this material evolved
The Hemp Museum houses evidence of the rich and varied history of textile hemp, together with the entire world of local weaving. But where did this fantastic fabric originate and how did its use expand in the Umbrian territory? Actually, the cultivation and weaving of hemp began to spread in a very influential way around the early 20th century, throughout Umbria, particularly in the area known as the Valnerina. In this strip of land, bordered by the river Nera, the so-called 'Canapine' were cultivated, i.e. strips of land, mainly dedicated to the cultivation of hemp, near small towns such as Gavelli, Monteleone di Spoleto and Castelluccio di Norcia.
However, the cultivation and processing of hemp was not always the same; on the contrary, it varied greatly depending on the territorial area and the influence of tradition. In fact, from one village to another, there could be different types of steeping and drying of the plant before it was processed and made into the fabric we all know. In particular, in these areas, special, traditional machinery was used to process hemp, which, with the help of specialised figures such as canapari and funari, could be used and bring out hemp fabrics.
The uses to which hemp textiles were put back in the day were almost endless: in fact, according to local tradition, hemp was ironically called 'the vegetable pig' because, as with the pig's meat mentioned, no part of the hemp was thrown away, unused, but everything could have its purpose. From the roots, to the seeds, the fibres and everything else, it could be used in so many ways: to light fires, to create flames, to make ropes, agricultural tools, fishing gear, clothing fabrics and so much more. The entire farming world was surrounded by hemp and it was regarded as precious gold, which could be used at will and for any purpose. In a nutshell, hemp is one of the most important protagonists of local daily life, as it proved to be an integral part of every part of local culture.
The Hemp Museum: how to teach history
The Hemp Museum, thanks to its noble purpose and precise management direction, has succeeded in developing a good method of displaying and teaching the history of this fantastic fabric that is hemp, with all its traditions and historical nuances. The Museum, in particular, divides its structure into two main parts.
Educational path and 'Spinning Dolls' by Liliane Lijn
The first section, which is the most classically museum-like, is also the most canonical: in fact, it corresponds to an educational tour through the museum's halls, in which artefacts and evidence of the history of hemp are shown, both in terms of home production and the more industrial one.
In the different rooms, which make up the museum's collection, visitors can explore different types of tools and artefacts, which have been recovered to emphasise the importance of the textile tradition throughout the surrounding area. These artefacts have been found in different ways, but in particular have been donated by different families in the vicinity, enhancing the intimate and family aspect that the museum attempts to show through its museum tour.
For each of the testimonies in the museum, their function is explained, but also how they came into being and how they evolved throughout history. The most interesting aspect of this exhibition is the following: alongside each of these testimonies, there are special methods used, of a multi-sensory type, which allow visitors to experience the artisanal weaving of hemp in the round. In particular, there is an exhibition with a special character, called 'Spinning Dolls' created by Liliane Lijn, an English artist. Her work is a tribute to the all-female art of weaving, in which the gestures and traditions of textile culture are taken up and celebrated, linking them at the same time to the past, present and future.
Weaving and Ethnographic Workshops
Finally, there is another highly important section of the Museum that represents one of its spearheads: the Weaving Workshops, thanks to which the facility has managed to obtain a quality label, the Green Heart Quality. In fact, the Weaving Workshops are highly innovative and experimental spaces within the Museum, where workshops have been set up to help pass on the secrets of local weaving to new generations. Thanks to these extremely useful tools, the Museum is able to organise countless opportunities to enhance the territory and the link between the new generations and the traditions of weaving. In fact, the facility organises didactic courses, where middle and high school children can learn the history of hemp weaving and experience the use of the loom and all the fabrics. This multi-sensory experience allows children to immerse themselves in local history and learn, through different tools, but above all through a practical and instantaneous approach.
In this way, the children will understand the importance of manual skills within weaving and will be able to see and witness first-hand the traditional experience of this particular cultural hub. Not only will the children be able to experience this as protagonists, but they will also be able to look closely at past testimonies: in fact, part of the Museum and the Weaving Workshops is also the need to collect so-called 'Ethno-graphies'. In fact, the management is also concerned with collecting stories and testimonies of local people who have had special experiences or stories related to the world of weaving or hemp. In this way, ordinary people will be able to share their more than vital experience with other people, not letting it go to waste, but cherishing it as the great treasure that it is.
Valuing traditions to give the present a future
These and many others are the reasons why the Hemp Museum represents a more than worthy territorial organisation that deserves to be celebrated and celebrated. Thanks to small but valuable realities such as this museum, it is possible to keep local culture alive through the valorisation of local traditions and resources. It is only through the preservation of these collective memories of our land that it is possible to look to the future with new eyes and great awareness, creating new paths to cross, for the creation of a better future.
Insights:
[1] Hemp Museum, Valnerina
Photo:
[F1] Nickolas Nikolic on Unsplash
[F2] Antique loom, Copyright Hemp Museum
[F3] 'Spinning Dolls', by Liliane Lijn, Copyright Hemp Museum
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Translated with Linguana