The Mountain and Smuggling Museum in Macugnaga is housed in a traditional Walser building, in Via Prati, Staffa.
The museum is a highlight of the entire Ossola Valley and houses an exhibition divided into three themes, united by the guiding thread of the mountain. On the ground floor is a valuable series of boards by the Milanese caricaturist and publicist Aldo Mazza, who depicts mountaineering on Monte Rosa with humor. On the mezzanine floor is an important collection of finds that illustrate Macugnaga’s mountaineering history. Many of these items have been restored by the glacier over the years, having belonged to climbers who tragically lost their lives on the slopes of Monte Rosa.
In the corridor are items and equipment with which the Macugnaga Mountain Guides conquered the east wall of Monte Rosa: skis, ropes, rucksacks, crampons and original clothing, all perfectly preserved. The mountaineering section is completed by a series of documents on the great mountain guide from Macugnaga, Mattia Zurbriggen, the first to climb Aconcagua.
The section dedicated to smuggling, thanks to rich documentation, testifies the recent past of mountain populations. It includes photos, articles and direct testimonies that allow you to find out more about the illegal activity that often translated into the only form of sustenance for entire families.
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