Museum of Peasant Civilization of Ruffano

The Museum of Peasant Civilization, founded in 2002, is housed on the ground floor of the 18th-century Palazzo Pasanisi in Torrepaduli to create a cultural center in the town for both locals and tourists. The museum consists of 10 rooms: some rooms retain their original function, while others have been renovated for workshops. The museum offers visitors an interesting journey inside the Salento peasant civilization from the late 1800s to just a few decades ago. 

The museum not only serves to preserve objects, tools, toys… but is also the venue for cultural events and shows. Every year, a characteristic live nativity scene is held inside, sponsored by the municipality, the province, and the region, now successfully in its seventh edition. The museum, besides being a place for the enhancement and protection of the ethno-anthropological cultural heritage, carries out an educational role through targeted workshop activities aimed at understanding various aspects of peasant civilization.