THE OIL MUSEUM, IN THE HEART OF SEGGIANO
This is a scattered museum project, created by the Municipality of Seggiano and the “Le Radici di Seggiano” Foundation. Born in 2012, the Oil Museum twists and turns through the historic centre of this ancient village situated on Mount Amiata slopes and its name has also given the denomination to the Olivastra Seggianese PDO oil.
AN INNOVATIVE JOURNEY
The museum is an innovative and captivating journey that starts from the large cistern located on the surrounding walls where-in a unique installation has been created. It is an olive tree recovered from a landslide suspended in this large space with its roots. This plant is the largest in the world powered by an aeroponics technology; in practice water vapor, the realization of which has been tested and verified at the international laboratory of plant neurobiology of the Faculty of Agriculture of Florence, scientific partner of the project. The project will be completed with the installation of special sensors that will allow the monitoring of the olive tree and the study of its responses to external stresses. The collected data, of extraordinary and original scientific interest, will also be elaborated by a script machine: an artistic device that will trace the electrical activities of the plant making them visible to visitors in their temporal development, enriching the visual experience of the installation with further emotions.
THE ARCHITECTURAL BALANCE BETWEEN THE ANCIENT OLIVE OIL MILLS OF THE XIX CENTURY AND A MODERN OIL TASTING ROOM
The museum itinerary also includes various buildings recovered and renovated. Among them an old olive oil mill of the XIX century, the oratory of San Rocco with its frescoes of 1490, the spaces of the former village hall and the new oil testing room in the main square where it is possible to taste and buy products from the short distribution chain.
