Born out of the ancient art of fireworks carried on in Campolieto and which has made the town’s name famous to those in the industry, the Fireworks Museum is located within the Museum of Rural Culture, which has evolved over the years, enriching itself with evidence related to local history, crafts and art.
The museum organizes guided tours, cultural events, educational workshops for schools and offers space for research, study and the use of computing devices. Prominent within it is the permanent exhibition Drawing in the Sky, dedicated to an old local fireworks factory, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a true unicum at the regional and national level.
The exhibition, enriched with multimedia content and technological devices, tells the story of the pyrotechnic tradition through tools, forms, chemical elements and historical documents, some dating back to the fascist era. It is designed for school audiences of all ages: secondary school students are offered thematic tours, while interactive workshops with tablets and 3D viewers are organized for younger children.
Conceived, promoted and implemented by the Campolieto Cultural Circle “La Strina,” in collaboration with Francesco Marino and master carpenter Michele Leccese, the permanent exhibition Drawing in the Sky takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the history of the Premiato Laboratorio Pirotecnico di Francescopaolo Paradiso e Figlio (1899-1939). Founded in the late 19th century in Campolieto, the workshop quickly became one of the most renowned in the province of Campobasso and neighboring regions.
Period photographs, original documents, work tools, notebooks and notes carefully reconstruct the life and activity of this important craft center. Making the display even more impressive are the majestic hand-painted cloths depicting imposing sacred subjects, patron saints, as well as historical figures of King Victor Emmanuel III and Benito Mussolini. A unique experience, combining historical memory and artistic tradition.
Alongside this exhibition, an area dedicated to the history of technology in rural areas has recently been established. Moreover, in 2019, the museum was enriched with a valuable book collection: a collection of ancient books, published between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries.