The Museum of Pels in Elva

The Museum of Pels in Elva houses the memory of a unique trade which grew up in the mountains of the Maira Valley – that of the hair collectors.

The peculiar activity of hair traders consisted in collecting and selecting hair, an unusual and precious raw material, required for making wigs and in subsequently trading them on the overseas markets.  The museum tells the history of the hard work of this itinerant job, proof of the valley ingenuity and recalls the dignity of a comunity which was able to find a way of combatting the poverty which characterised the valley in centuries past.  A short distance from the museum, it is worth visiting the Parish church of Santa Maria di Elva.

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Contact info

The museum’s opening hours vary monthly. For further information, contact the I.A.T. valli Grana e Maira during the following times. Wednesdays: 2.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., 2.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.

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