Paper Museum, Amalfi
The Paper Museum in Amalfi is one of the most unusual museums on the coast. Its history dates back to the 9th century and the Amalfi Coast Republic of that time. And the first appearance of paper in these parts was recorded in the 12-13 centuries.
History of the Paper Museum
Among the first cities where paper could be found in the 12th and 13th centuries, there were the Maritime Republics: Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice. They all had warehouses located both in Syria and on the coast of Palestine, where the main paper production centers operated. The republics also had intensive trade relations with the East, which enabled them to learn how to make paper without much difficulty.
The paper museum was founded in 1969 by Nicola Milano, owner of a paper mill and a member of one of the most famous families working in the paper industry. Passing through many problems and vicissitudes, the idea of the "Paper Museum" has become a real and interesting reality aimed at preserving the historical heritage and restoring ancient arts, such as the production of hand-made paper.
Exposition of the museum
An excursion to the museum begins inside the mill, from where the process of paper production begins. The museum houses tools and mechanisms used in ancient paper mills. Ancient technologies, restored and current, show the entire production cycle of paper.
Among the age-old tools in the museum you can admire:
- the ancient wooden fists that drive the hydraulic wheel;
- a press used to remove excess water from paper;
- continuous printing and Dutch machines.
In the museum there are manuscripts, inscriptions, posters, documents, there is a specialized library.
How to get there
The Paper Museum in Amalfi is located in an old medieval paper mill of the 14th century on the way to the Valle delle Ferriere. The museum address is Via delle Cartiere 23, Amalfi. You can get there by local transport, nearby there is the tourist attraction of Amalfi: Cloister del Paradiso.
Opening hours: from March 1 to October 31, the museum is open all week from 10:00 to 18:30. In November and December the museum is open from 10:00 to 16:00, Monday – closed.
