The building is a paper mill of 1756, and at Acquasanta that is no small detail: paper was the trade of Mele for centuries, and the paper industry still carries much of the town's economy alongside timber and food. Restored in 1992 and opened to the public in 1997, the old works became the Centro di Testimonianza ed Esposizione dell'Arte Cartaria, the paper museum to everyone here, under the direction of Francesco Pirella, publisher and inventor of the Antilibro.
What to see
Inside are the historical records of local papermaking: not a cabinet of curiosities, but the account of work that occupied this valley for generations. Look at the building first and the contents afterwards, because the mills grew here for a single reason: the water never fails. The Gorsexio, the Ceresolo and the Acquasanta all run south and, further down, form the Leira, which reaches the sea at Voltri.
The best part is the hands-on one. The centre runs practical workshops in which paper is not only looked at: you try to make it, and that is the most direct way to understand what it takes to pull a sheet out of a pulp of fibres. It works with children, and it works with adults who were sure they already knew.
Visiting
The museum stands near the hamlet of Acquasanta, on the valley floor northwest of Genoa. Just beyond, separated from the houses only by the stream of the same name, is the sanctuary of Nostra Signora dell'Acquasanta, built between 1683 and 1718 and always a destination for the confraternities of Mele, Arenzano, Crevari, Voltri and Pra'. From Genoa Voltri you climb on state road 456 del Turchino; AMT buses link the city with Mele and its hamlets every day. Check opening times before setting off: this is a small place, not a city museum.
Our editors' tip
We suggest asking about the workshop when you book: a sheet made with your own hands is the one souvenir of Mele worth taking home. And allow half a day rather than an hour, because the sanctuary is right there, and the jump from paper mill to pilgrims' church explains Acquasanta better than any information panel.