Museo storico etnografico Valle di Blenio

At the center of the village of Lottigna is the Museo della Valle di Blenio; it is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage of the Bleniotal and collaborates with the canton, the association Associazione del Museo di Blenio and the Centro di dialettologia e di etnografia CDE.

The museum is housed in the historic Casa dei Landfogti, also called Palazzo del Pretorio. The three-storey building with a gneiss roof dates from the early 16th century; an inscription of the year 1461 points to an earlier structure. Around the middle of the 16th century the house became the property of the Landvogtei and served as a courthouse until 1891. An extensive restoration took place between 1968 and 1972. The façade displays numerous coats of arms of the Bleniotal, the three original cantons and the Vögte; inside, 17th-century heraldic representations have been preserved. A chain with an iron collar on the exterior wall still recalls earlier punitive practices.

Historically the valley was politically linked for centuries: after the end of the rule of an Italian noble family in the 15th century, the Bleniotal placed itself under the protection of the people of Uri and swore an oath of loyalty in 1495. Between 1503 and 1798 it remained a Gemeine Herrschaft of the cantons Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden. The Landvögte alternated every two years and ruled together with three jurors. In practice, heavy levies, legal insecurity and corruption imposed severe burdens on the population; coercive measures and harsh punishments were also documented. With the founding of Canton Tessin in 1803 this form of rule was dissolved.

The exhibition is arranged by theme and floor. The ground floor addresses agriculture and crafts; there are furniture pieces from the upper valley as well as workshops of a carpenter, a blacksmith and a mill. The first floor displays a fully furnished historic kitchen, textile production, traditional costumes and clothing, and religious art. Notable objects include incunabula from San Remigio in Corzoneso, printed in Milan in 1499, and a carved group of apostles from Val Malvaglia dating to the early 16th century. The history of the emigration of many Ticinese as chocolatiers, chestnut roasters, restaurateurs or café operators is also a subject; works by the sculptor Giovanni Genucchi (1904–1979) are shown as well.

The second floor hosts temporary exhibitions. A tower room is dedicated to the anarchist and botanist Mosè Bertoni, who emigrated to Paraguay in 1884, and his life is documented through objects and photographs. Two former prison cells have been preserved. In the small courtyard stands the Arsenaletto, a former arsenal and archive; today it presents viticulture, wine production and beekeeping. Information panels are available, in addition to Italian, in German, French and English.