The Mele Paper Museum

Historical records show that paper production in the Leira Valley began in 1424, however, intense activity occurred between the 17th and 18th centuries. In fact, in 1720, the Protectors of the Marian Shrine of Acquasanta decided to invest in paper manufacturing, building and renting two buildings for the production of white paper and, in 1756, one specifically for the production of waste paper. The latter, located on the left bank of the Acquasanta stream and downstream from the Sanctuary, had a drying room on the roof level, equipped with windows with adjustable shutters, in which the bundles of paper sheets were left to dry, a technique that the factory maintained until 1985, the year in which it ceased operation, despite the circulation of machines with drying units. In 1992, the entire artefact was restored, transforming it into a centre for research and study of the manufacturing processes of the art of papermaking in Genoa and the related socio-economic systems that contributed to the European success of a production model with an unparalleled longevity of three centuries.