Scarperia: the museum of knives
At about twenty kilometers from Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort is the village of Scarperia, the historic town of Mugello. Founded in 1306, under the name Castel S. Barnaba, Scarperia was named because it was “the shoe” at the foot of the Apennines. The village is known since the Middle Ages, as well as the historic Palazzo dei Vicari, especially for the production of the famous knives.
As handed down by history, in fact, was drafted in 1539 the Statute of the Knife, which established strict rules for the production of the blades of Scarperia, handed down from father to son, to modern artisans. Who has visited at least once, through the village you cannot fail to have noticed the signs, also of historic value, that adorn the laboratories of blades, still present.
Among the historical knives Scarperia is the famous “zuava”, handle made from buffalo horn or wood of olive, short blade and tip resembling a crescent. An interesting idea, the “Knives of Love”, a seal of mutual loyalty still exchanged by couples who go there: knives with handles of mother-of-pearl and silver, sold strictly in pairs.
The love for the art history of the creation of the knives has led to the birth of the “Museum of Knives”, which opened in 1999. The Museum which is housed in the Palazzo dei Vicari, traces the history of the knife in human evolution, as well as explaining the techniques of the blades of Scarperia. All thanks to interactive video installations, documents, old photographs and collections of ancient blades.
For those interested, from Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort are organized visits to the laboratory of a master craftsman: here you will be shown the techniques of historical Scarperia blades.
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