Description
The Borsalino Museum is a dynamic and innovative space which accompanies visitors on their discovery of the Italian hat culture. An emotional journey which overlaps and intertwines many levels: the history of an entrepreneurial dynasty, the history of its territory of origin, the artisan tradition that is handed down from generation to generation and, finally, the extraordinary hats which reflect the creative dialogue of Borsalino with art, design, fashion and, above all, cinema.
The museum exhibition is supported by a rich multimedia system, which accompanies the visitors and allows a
personalised and highly experiential use.
A series of three themed areas crosses Palazzo Borsalino and unravels a story which originated in 1857 and arrives to the present day. The route beings from Antica Casa, a multimedia installation which goes back over the key stages of the history of the hat factory and deepens its connection with the local area. Manifattura is the name of the area dedicated to the processes of hat production, where an immersive video projection and a series of explanatory artefacts accompany the visitor on their discovery of the techniques and secrets of the artisans of Alessandria. Finally, the visitor arrives at the Gallery section with more than 2000 hats on show organised into eight narrative routes, for an unparalleled experience.
The historical Borsalino hat collection, donated in 1994 by Giovanna Usuelli Borsalino to the City of Alessandria, has been enriched by close to 200 new purchases which Fondazione Borsalino has made available to the Museum to increase its appeal. The historical display cabinets designed by Ignazio Gardella for the ancient Samples Room Borsalino stand out in the Gallery section of the Museum with a new lighting system, Eighty items of the collection, selected for their extraordinary value, are enriched by anecdotes, images and videos, accessible through the App Borsalino Museum.
The museum exhibition is completed by Borsalino video installations and the cinema: a long story of love, Paper treasures: the advertising posters of the Borsalino collection and The origin of Borsalino Panama Hats.