This privately-owned museum is located in Dorgali, surrounded by parkland rich in water from the "S'Abba frisca" (freshwater) spring. The Museum-Park follows two allied themes: natural heritage and folk heritage.
The visit starts with a presentation of plant species: lesser bulrush, prickly juniper, Phoenician juniper, carob tree, laurel, viburnum, tamarisk, lilac, holm oak, medicinal herbs, thyme, peppermint, oregano, garden vegetables, jujube. Then come the craft workshops, and farm-life utensils and homes: the cuìle, the goat herder's hut consisting of a circular stone wall topped by a cone-shaped roof made of juniper branches, with a hearth and utensils for dairy production. the farmer's courtyard, with the donkey-pulled wheat grindstone, the ox-cart, the plough and other farm tools. the storeroom with cork silos for storing grain, the measuring cups and various harnesses for beasts of burden, ropes and branding irons. the blacksmith's corner, with a 19th-century forge, several tools and pieces of equipment and the ox-shoeing equipment. Next come the fossil showcase and the plants: ancient plants (taxus baccata, terebinth, holly) dye-producing plants (walnut, holm oak, phillyrea, alternate, heather, blackberry bush, daphne gnidium), the ancient wild olive tree, the mulberry trees linked to the silkworm farming tradition in Dorgali, and the stone pine, thuja and elm.
The route then leads to the stone wash-tub, with its cast iron pump, lye-making equipment and laundry baskets. The adjoining structure has several sections: the reconstruction of two 19th-century bedrooms with ceilings made of beams and oak planks, complete with period furnishings and linen. wool spinning and weaving equipment, including two ancient hand-looms, fabrics, traditional daily-use clothing and feast-day costumes. a 19th-century gig, a collection of wheels, musical instruments, winemaking and oil-making equipment and the corner of herbal remedies and medicines. The last environment is "sa coghina 'e coghere", with the oven and equipment for making the traditional crispy bread, 'pane carasau'. Then comes a route through dwarf palm trees, myrtles, strawberry trees, rockrose, wild olive trees and sorbs, among which some traditional stone feeding troughs are scattered. Variously coloured oleanders and Arizona cypress bring the itinerary to its close.
The two trails are intertwined to symbolise the balance between humans and nature: the use of medicinal herbs, fruit, tree bark, and any other natural substance folk wisdom identified as a precious resource.
Address: loc. Littu, strada per Cartoe - 08022 Dorgali Phone +39 335 6569072 - +39 339 1464112 Owner/Manager: Adolfo Bartolomeo Secci
