Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

The Museum of Mediterranean Interweaving (Mim) and the Doria fortress and the Museum of Genoese Origins (Mog) and the Franciscan convent

The Museum of Mediterranean Interweaving, MIM, located inside the Doria fortress., is proposed as an ideal place to preserve the ancient tradition of weaving. The museum tour consists of nine rooms arranged on two floors.

In Sardinia, the different distribution of the weft fiber on the warp results in the distinction of two different compositional techniques: spiral structures and crossing structures. In addition to these are weavings used for roofs and mats; for sacred occasions or ceremonials, such as the palm tree at Easter; for seating chairs characteristic of Sardinian cuisine; and for daily work activities related to the area of interest, such as fishing pots; and bread baskets. The interweaving of the town of Castelsardo takes the form of an unwritten ancient knowledge, but one that is still documented and handed down from the medieval townspeople to new generations. In the streets of the city it is possible to meet basket weavers, historical and modern figures, who outside the doorway weave dwarf palm, sea hay and raffia. Their handicrafts, displayed to tourists and passersby, echo the techniques, shapes and decorations of Castelsardo’s ancient weaving tradition but also recall the personal tastes and innovative talents of local contemporary crafts. The museum rooms are housed inside the Doria Fortress, the first housing and military unit built by the Genoese family upon its arrival in Anglona. The structure has always been used, with the function of a barracks/fort until 1963 when the Carabinieri, the last inhabitants of the castle, left it for good. Some rooms were occupied, for a long time even by private citizens who were, however, employed in public jobs such as “fountain man.” Also now on display inside the fortress are several reproductions of medieval assault weapons, armor, battering rams, catapults, and gorgons that can be admired during the museum tour. The large terrace allows views of the entire Gulf of Asinara and the inland area, confirming the strategic function of the facility.

The MOG, Museum of Genoese Origins, is dedicated to the history of the City of Castelsardo. It represents a link between the Museum of Mediterranean Interweaving inside the Doria Fortress and the Diocesan Museum, inside the Crypts of the Cathedral of St. Anthony Abbot. The building that houses the MOG is an old Franciscan convent later used as a civilian dwelling and, until a few decades ago, used as the art workshop of the distinguished Castelsardo painter Giovanni Cau. The entire museum itinerary, which is still in the process of completion, illustrates to its visitors, through explanatory panels, sites and monuments of cultural interest found near the territory of Castelsardo, proposing itself as a promotional portal of the Anglona territory.

Write a Review