Visit the Museum of the Chestnut Tree and Borlengo
An indoor and outdoor museum path dedicated to chestnuts
he Chestnut Tree Museum and Borlengo Documentation Center was established in 2000 on the ground floor of the ancient building Ospitale di San Giacomo in Zocca (MO)The building, first mentioned in a document from 1186, was once managed by the friars and provided accommodation for pilgrims traveling through these lands to reach the Holy City
The Chestnut Tree Museum consists of three rooms and traces the history of the chestnut through objects related to it. In the two side rooms, there are tools for the care of the chestnut grove and the processing of products. In the central room, a series of panels illustrate the characteristics of the chestnut tree (typical of the area), its distribution in Italy, Europe, and worldwide, as well as diseases and grafting techniques. One corner of the room, called Fantacastagneto, is used to recreate the habitat of the chestnut grove and allows children to physically experience its features
The museum path then continues outside the Ospitale and leads along a flat trail in the heart of the chestnut groves of Monte San Giacomo. The trail, consisting of 13 stages, is equipped with informational signs that explain the stages of chestnut cultivation, covering the activities required for proper maintenance and the life cycle of the orchard
The outdoor itinerary ends at the Birch Forest. Here, one can admire a variety of tree and herbaceous species, some rare and special, typical of this climatic zone. The Chestnut Tree Museum actively collaborates with schools, especially in the autumn during the chestnut harvest period.
Opposite the Chestnut Tree Museum is the Borlengo Museum-Laboratory, located in two rooms. One room is dedicated to the exhibition: old pans for making borlenghi, objects related to rural culture and tradition are displayed alongside numerous explanatory signs on where and how this tasty traditional dish is prepared. In the other room, a laboratory has been set up to teach how to prepare borlengo.
