In Ghiffa, a quiet village overlooking the western shore of Lago Maggiore, surrounded by green hills, stands a place that narrates a story of tradition, craftsmanship and identity: the Museo del Cappello (Hat Museum).
Housed in the former Cappellificio Panizza (Panizza Hat Factory), active from 1881 to 1981, the museum recounts a remarkable story of passion and skill centred around the creation of an apparently simple item of clothing, the hat, which over time became a worldwide symbol of elegance and quality.
Through images, texts and artifacts, the exhibition narrates the history of the factory, offering a visual and tactile journey into a now nearly vanished world, where artisanal work transformed into true from of art.
Next to the production area, where it is possible admire a rich collection of hats from various eras and styles, the museum allows you to discover ancient manufacturing techniques; from soldering to dyeing, from baking to shaving hooping, with original tools and machinery that give substance to the story.
Visiting the museum also means understanding how, through a simple object like the hat, it becomes possible to trace the evolution of society and the changing traditions of the pioneering era of felt manufacturing.
It is a humble and intimate place, full of charm, where every object seems to hold the memory of a past time made by precise gestures and proud craftsmanship.