Museo Sisàn

The Sisàn Museum in Cisano explores the ornithological, fishing and hunting traditions of the Lake Garda district. Its collections bring together natural-history material and the tools and knowledge associated with life around the lake.

Why it matters

The museum documents a close relationship between local communities and the lake's wildlife and fisheries. Its subject includes professional fishing, which supported families on the lower lake into the twentieth century, and the bird-catching traditions associated with Cisano's Sagra dei Osei.

What to notice

The ornithological collection groups specimens by nesting habitat. Fishing equipment includes nets, traps, spears, lines and boats, illustrating different ways of working the lake. The museum also presents plates from the 1838 work Pesche del Lago di Garda and a reconstructed scene evoking the Cisano bird fair.

Context and history

The museum grew from a project by the Associazione Sagra dei Osei di Cisano in a building made available by the Comune di Bardolino. It opened in 2009. The name Sisàn reflects the Venetian form of Cisano, linking the institution to the local traditions that shape its collections.