Museo della Bilancia
   National Documentation Centre

   written by
   Roberta Gibertoni
   Annalisa Melodi

Inaugurated in October 1989, Museo della Bilancia collects evidence of the evolution of the balance, stimulating the recovery of historical and cultural relics from the Campogalliano territory. The painstaking collecting and documenting work begun at the beginning of the '80's has given an international characteristic to an activity of local interest. The museum is, infact, the only one of its kind in Italy. The 450 finds forming the collection have all been restored and are perfectly functionall. They come from various parts of the world and cover a period of about 700 years, from the 13th to the 20th century. The museum was not just planned as a showcase for exhibits. It was also designed as a place of knowledge, study and learning. This was why the NationaL Documentation Centre was created in 1991. This institute is able to collect, organixe and distribute documentary material in order to widen and stimulate knowledge of the balance. Adjacent to the museum, the center offers scholars, researchers, companies or, more simply, anyone who may be curious, a vast number of specialistic publications, annoucements, posters, catalogues, original prints and vintage documents. It also maintains constant contacts with other historical and scientific museums and research institutes on an international scale proposing, for the first time in Italy, an interdisciplinary activity by which to turn the balance to account. For this reason, Museo delLa Bilancia has become an essential reference point for private collectors with whom profitable collaboration has already begun. Since research or the balance is sadly wanting in Italy, Museo della Bilancia National Documentation Centre is an institution that must be rightly credited with having promptly and constantly conducted activities able to turn the scientific, technical and ethnographic culture of this instrument to account.

Balance used for weighing candles, from Iconographia Magni Patris Aurelii Augustini. Paris, 1624. Bilancia per pesare i ceri, da Iconographia Magni Patris Aurelii Augustini. Parigi, 1624.

Most of the balances have been collected thanks to the work of Guido Gabrietti, one of the founder members of Cooperativa Bilanciai. Amongst other things, he has dealt with the restoration, care and routine maintenance of the entire museum collection.