Museo della Cartapesta

The Museo della Cartapesta in Lecce presents the city's papier-mache tradition in the former stables of Charles V Castle.

Why it matters

Lecce's papier-mache workshops transformed inexpensive materials into devotional sculpture and Baroque ornament. The museum explains a craft that shaped the city's religious imagery and remains part of its artistic identity.

What to notice

The collection presents figures, saints and decorative objects alongside the stages of the craft, from forming and layering paper to painting and finishing. These works show how the material could imitate the folds and surface effects of more costly sculpture.

Context and history

The museum opened in 2009 within Charles V Castle. Papier-mache developed in Lecce alongside the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century building boom, supplying portable religious sculptures and decorative elements. Local workshops have continued to pass the technique between generations.