The Santa Giuletta Doll and Toy Museum is a treasure trove of history and creativity. Once upon a time, Santa Giuletta dolls were renowned throughout the world. During the 1950s, newspapers devoted long articles to this town, which was all about inventing and building dolls with all their accessories. In almost every house this work was carried out, and there were some twenty factories employing a thousand workers: it was a real industrial district.
Initially, dolls were made with papier-mâché through a very elaborate process until plastic took over, with walking and talking dolls, which marked the slow disappearance of this ancient practice. To preserve this heritage, the municipality collected dolls, toys, casts, tools, labels, photographs and catalogues from the different eras, from the 1930s to the 1980s, thus creating the museum.
The Doll and Toy Museum is not only a tourist destination, but also a place of cultural and historical interest. In recent years, courses have been organised on artistic handicrafts, with a module specifically dedicated to doll-making. The Museum is complemented by a new branch of the Municipal Library, equipped for exhibitions and research on dolls and local history. An important new feature is the Workshop, where papier-mâché dolls are reconstructed from pre-World War II models. Visiting the Doll and Toy Museum is an unexpected and surprising experience. Along with the history of the process of perfecting dolls and toys, the exhibition also tells the story of a particularly interesting economic and social reality that began in 1933. An Italian reality that, in many respects, was unique in its economic context.
The museum exhibits unique pieces such as Topo Gigio, made in 1958 under licence from Maria Perego, and the puppet Five, symbol of the Canale 5 television network since 1975. Furthermore, on the occasion of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, the official mascot Misha was made, using mink skins supplied by Pellicceria Annabella of Pavia. This mascot, donated to the Heads of State, is also on display in the museum.
The Santa Giuletta Toy and Doll Museum is a fascinating journey through decades of creativity, craftsmanship and history. Exploring this museum means rediscovering an important part of Italy‘s cultural heritage, reliving the golden age of a small country that conquered the world with its dolls and toys. Come and discover this hidden treasure and let yourself be enchanted by the magic of an art that has marked the history of many generations.
