In the historic town of Mirabello Sannitico, inside a refined 17th-century noble residence, a chance discovery sparked one of Molise’s most heartfelt cultural projects: the MIRA Museum. It all began with a collection of photos found in grocery bags — thousands of black-and-white snapshots taken by the town’s only photographer, Antonio Baranello.
Covering the period from the 1940s to the 1970s, the images capture everyday life: weddings, street scenes, community events, portraits, and local trades. What makes them special isn’t the grandeur of the moments, but their honesty — the ability of Baranello to capture spontaneity and preserve the human warmth of his village.
The museum, curated by the creative team at justMo, uses a fresh and innovative approach: the photographs are printed on glass and displayed across the large windows of Palazzo Spicciati, creating light effects that transform the rooms into living memories. The exhibition is divided into four themed sections — “Portraits,” “Festivities,” “Community,” and “Land” — each telling a story of identity and belonging.
MIRA is not just a museum to visit; it’s a project to participate in. Visitors can access the archive online, view hundreds of digitized images, and even help identify the people in them. There’s also a photo booth inside the museum where guests can snap a picture and submit it to the archive — blending past and present, keeping the collection alive and evolving.
MIRA is an invitation to connect with history on a personal level — to find a familiar face in an old photo and realize that the stories of small towns like Mirabello deserve to be remembered and shared.