Ecomuseo della Pietra da Cantoni

The Cantoni Stone Ecomuseum recounts and highlights the unique life and landscape of the Casale Monferrato, characterized by the Cantoni Stone. It promotes initiatives aimed at its recovery, not only as a historical and social testimony, but also to revitalize and reinterpret its functional and economic role in the area's typical agricultural activities and production. The Ecomuseum highlights the unique life and landscape of the Monferrato region. Located in the historic Palazzo Volta, in the heart of Cella Monte, the Ecomuseum houses an Infernot. The Infernot of Monferrato, carved into the rock, have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the evocative Infernot, the immersive three-dimensional multimedia room, and the pleasant open spaces, the visit to the Pietra da Cantoni Ecomuseum has recently been enriched by the new "Fossil Room" on the first floor, with finds and explanatory panels (also in English) curated by sedimentologist and geologist Alfredo Frixa, micropaleontologist Donata Violanti, and geologist Paolo Sassone. The Fossil Hall offers a journey through the Cenozoic Era, beginning with the Paleocene (66 to 59.2 million years ago), continuing through the Eocene (56 to 37.8 Ma), the Oligocene (33.9 to 28.1 Ma), the Miocene (33.3 to 7.2 Ma), and the Pliocene (5.3 to 3.6 Ma), reaching the Pleistocene (2.58 to 0.126 Ma) and the Holocene (present-day period, 0.0117 to 0.0042 Ma), complete with accompanying artifacts housed in bright display cases. New additions to the Cantoni Stone Ecomuseum include: - the "Quarrymen's Hall," which allows visitors to "dive" into the depths of the Cantoni stone quarries. The "Infernot Room" features photographs by Ilenio Celoria, Cosimo Maffione, Maurizio Galimberti, Jacques Pion, Luciano Bobba, Gabriele Croppi, and Nicola Sacco of some of the infernots in the villages that are part of the Ecomuseum network. The new installation "Proverbiarium – The Museum of Sayings and Proverbs" tells the story of the villagers. For more information, please contact the Pietra da Cantoni Ecomuseum directly. * * * * * * * OPENINGS Friday and Saturday by reservation Sunday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM (during daylight saving time, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM); reservations are recommended. Visits on other days are possible upon request. For information and reservations, please email prenotazioni@ecomuseopietracantoni.it. We recommend checking the website and Facebook page (links below) for any changes (especially during holidays). * USEFUL ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION* The Ecomuseum's tour route is partially accessible to people with mobility disabilities. The Ecomuseum's Infernot is not accessible to people with mobility disabilities; an interactive tour is available. Photo credit: ALEXALA Archive - Photo by Gian Luca Grassano