Italy - Museum of Mediterranean Masks - Mamoiada

The Museum of Mediterranean Masks was established with the aim of creating a meeting place between the cultural universe of Mamoiada – a town in the heart of Sardinia, with its world-renowned traditional masked figures known as Mamuthones and Issohadores – and other Mediterranean regions, underlining their close historical and cultural relationship through their pre-Lenten Carnival celebrations and attire.

The museum focuses on ritual costumes representing traditional characters. The costumes combine a wide array of zoomorphic and grotesque masks, usually carved in wood, with sheepskins, bells and other objects that make a lot of noise. (In Italian, the word “mask” may refer not only to the face covering but also to the ritual costume as a whole and to the age-old character it represents, and this is how the museum often uses it.)

These characters, originating in traditional herding and farming communities, may once have been thought to be capable of influencing the seasons and ensuring an abundant harvest. Therefore, despite their fearsome appearance, their arrival was eagerly awaited and much appreciated: everyone would flatter them and try to win their friendship by offering them food and drink.

Beginning with masks from Mamoiada, the museum offers a collection comparing objects from several Mediterranean countries, highlighting their similarities more than their differences.

The current arrangement of the collection constitutes the first stage of an ambitious project of the museum, the intent of which is to cover the whole range of masks from agricultural and pastoral societies throughout the Mediterranean, and to create a documentation center on Carnival and masquerade traditions. There is a natural connection between the museum’s activities and various cultural and touristic initiatives in and around Mamoiada. The museum is an important focal point providing information, organizing tours in the region and enabling visitors to attend traditional events and festivals – most notably the Carnival celebrations – as well as promoting local craft and food products.

Mario et Gianluigi Paffi et Rita Mele

The authors of this guide are the founders of the Museum of Mediterranean Masks of Mamoiada as well as two other local museums: the Museum of Culture and Labor and the Museum of Archeology and Territory (MATER). All three are run by the VISERAS cooperative, in which the authors are partners.

The VISERAS Cooperative Society was formed on 7 June 2001. Currently, it has three partners: Mario Paffi, who manages the museum and exchanges at national and international level; Gianluigi Paffi, who takes care of events and local coordination; and Rita Mele, who is in charge of ethnographic research and organizes tours in the Mamoiada area and children’s workshops. The cooperative manages the development of its museums at national and international level and is part of several national museum associations.

Included in this guide:

- Map of Mamoiada
- Plan of the museum
- Images of masks in Sardinia and the Mediterranean region
- Audio
- Practical information
- Info on restaurants and wine bars.