Situated in what were once the stables of the Franciscan convent, the Museum of Mysteries unfolds along a longitudinal path marked by cells, raised floors, and large spaces that slowly narrow to accompany the visitor through the stages of the Passion of Christ. The sculptural groups, also called “paintings” or “panels,” are entirely made of papier-mâché and are the work of the artist from Eclano, Antonio Russo (1836-1914), who donated them to the City in 1875. The figures, modeled using old paper and glue with glass inserts for the eyes, are about one and a half meters tall and are distinguished by the expressions of strength and pain that the artist was able to imbue in them; the features of some characters in the collection are inspired by people actually known to the artist. In fact, in the panel “Christ stripped of his garments,” a man dressed in nineteenth-century clothes appears: he is a usurer with whom the artist had contracted debts and who had caused him serious problems; conversely, the face of the Madonna is that of his beloved mother. Inside the Museum of Mysteries, it is possible to learn the main methods of papier-mâché processing thanks to audio-visual educational supports and the presence of a multimedia room.
The Car Museum, open to the public since 2005, is set up on the first floor of the same monumental complex of San Francesco, home to the Municipality of Mirabella Eclano. The Museum exhibits some original parts of the seven registers that make up the Car. The fascinating work is an obelisk 25 meters high entirely covered with woven straw panels according to the architecture of a spire. The entire sculpture is the result of the work of skilled craftsmen who have cared for the “straw jewel” for more than a century. The transportation of the Car takes place every year on the Saturday before the third Sunday of September, a day dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows to whom the Car festival pays homage. The obelisk, supported by two agricultural cart wheels, travels through the city streets drawn by six pairs of oxen and a multitude of people who, clinging to the hemp ropes, regulate its stability. Inside the Museum there is also a permanent exhibition of photographs illustrating the history of the Car from its first project dated 1869, tracing the highlights of its construction up to the most significant moment of the “pull.”
SERVICES PROVIDED
– First reception of the visitor
– Management of the information point through the distribution of informational material
– Educational activities
– Temporary exhibitions
– Cultural, tourist, and hospitality information
– Management of the booking calendar for visits and participation in any activities organized for the school, resident, and tourist public
Information about the Civic Museum of the Straw Car and Papier-mâché Mysteries
Monumental Complex of S. Francesco,
83036 Mirabella Eclano (Avellino)
0825 438078
mirabellaeclano@sistemamuseo.it
Source: MIBACT
