Is it possible to discover Africa without embarking on long and expensive journeys? All you need to do is visit Basella di Urgnano, in the province of Bergamo, about forty kilometers from Milan. Here, in the ancient monastery of the Passionist Missionaries, you’ll find the new home of the African Museum and Village.
Back in 1984, the religious congregation established the museum in the nearby town of Calcinate to share the traditions, customs, and values of African societies, as well as to shed light on the social, artistic, and spiritual transformations taking place in sub-Saharan Africa. In Calcinate, the missionaries even faithfully recreated a complete African village to let visitors experience firsthand the environment that gave rise to African culture and art.
The museum has now moved to Basella, in a modern, technologically advanced building next to the 15th-century monastery founded by commander Bartolomeo Colleoni. Thanks to its innovative construction, acoustic, and multimedia solutions, this new museum rivals Europe’s finest. The African village will be reconstructed by 2004.
Within the museum, the culture and spirituality of African people are narrated through artworks from 11 countries, dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Visitors can admire Dogon sculptures from Mali, Lobi carvings, masks from Burkina Faso, Baule figures from Ivory Coast, surrealist Makonde statues from Mozambique and Tanzania, as well as ancestral images created by the Hemba people of the Congo.
The permanent collection is complemented by special and temporary exhibitions such as the toy exhibit, “Treasures from the Dump,” a genuine tribute to the creativity and resourcefulness of African children.
There are also displays dedicated to the most widespread painting techniques in Africa, dividing canvases by genre and style. Through lively images of villages, cities, wildlife, history, and traditions, these tours lead visitors deep into the diversity of the African continent.
True to the humanitarian mission of the Passionist congregation, proceeds from the museum support missions in Africa by funding the creation and maintenance of schools and artisan workshops.
