The Aosta Valley Craft Museum
In Fénis, about 800 objects telling the story of mountain craftsmanship
A short walk from Fénis Castle, a villa holds the memory of Aosta Valley hands. This is the MAV, the Museum of Traditional Aosta Valley Crafts, opened on 24 January 2009. Here you discover how the valley’s people made the objects of daily life, and how this craft is still alive today.
About 800 objects, from tools to sculptures
The museum brings together about 800 pieces, from everyday objects to sculptures. Farm tools, kitchen utensils, furniture, folk art: everything is made from what the mountains offered, wood, iron, stone and textile fibres.
A route through several themed spaces
The visit is organised by theme:
- raw materials: what craftspeople worked with;
- techniques: how people carved, forged and wove;
- how objects were used: in the home and in the barn;
- the community: life in Alpine farming villages, with reconstructions of living spaces;
- the Saint-Ours Fair, Aosta’s great craft fair, with images and sound.
For whom? Understanding life in the past
The MAV will appeal to anyone who wants to understand how people once lived in the valley. The reconstructions make that past very real, and the museum also showcases today’s craftspeople.
Practical information
- Address: hameau Chez Sapin, 11020 Fénis (AO)
- Phone: +39 0165 763912
- Email: museo@lartisana.it
- Prices: €5; reduced €3 (including ages 6–18, over-65s, groups, holders of a Fénis Castle ticket); school groups €2; free under 6.
- Guided tour: €20 per group on top of the ticket, in Italian, French or English, by booking (20 people maximum).
- Opening hours: check with the museum.
Source: Italian Ministry of Culture, MAV.
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