Ethnographic museum that, with over 7000 elements, collects the testimonies of the cultural roots of Quarrata and in particular of the peasant civilization.
Casa di Zela is a rural building whose oldest core was probably a tower house erected for defensive purposes and later reduced to “dwelling for workers” in the sixteenth century with the spread of sharecropping. The building, after various names, took its current name, but to date there are no reliable sources on its origin. It is certain that the last sharecroppers who lived there until 1962 were Gli Zeli.
After a period of abandonment, the building was donated by the Banchelli Loris and Otello Family to the municipal administration of Quarrata which allowed its recovery and restoration. Today Zela’s house is a documentation centre of the surrounding area, an ethnographic museum that collects the testimonies of the cultural roots of Quarrata and in particular of the peasant civilization.
The museum
Zela’s house hosts a museum consisting of numerous objects representative of rural culture and its transformations. The collection consists of about 7000 items collected by Ernesto Franchi in over 50 years of activity.
The exhibition is always in progress and every visit is a dialogue between the objects and the public.
Oasis area
Thanks to the proximity to the Protected Natural Area La Querciola, the experience of the visit can be combined with an excursion in this great wetland, ideal habitat of numerous species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The rich and varied flora includes numerous species, both of common and regional interest for their vulnerability.
