Tanning Museum – Bosa

Until the mid-1900s Bosa was the capital of the tanning industry in Italy

The Tanning Museum is located in Bosa (50 km South of Alghero), on the left bank of the Temo river. It was created to raise awareness of the work of tanning, which was very important for the economy of the city throughout the nineteenth century and until 1962, the year in which the last tannery closed.

The tanneries in Bosa are a row of buildings side by side on the left bank of the Temo river, made with local stones trachyte and tuff, with mud and lime, and plastered with a mixture of lime and trachyte powder. In the golden age, up to 30 factories were active. Today most of the tanneries are under redevelopment and characterize the landscape of Bosa near the Old Bridge. In recent decades some buildings have been converted into commercial businesses and homes.

National Monument. The architectural features of these ancient buildings are a beautiful example of proto-industrial architecture. With their glorious past, the tans are one of the most beautiful, characteristic and spectacular views of Bosa. A decree of the Ministry of Cultural and Environmental Heritage in 1989 declared them a National Monument.

The Tanning Museum was built in one of the best preserved buildings dating back to 1700. On the ground floor there are the well, the press and the basins where the leathers were immersed. The tanning, coloring and washing processes are shown on the first floor, while on the upper floor there is the finishing stage from which the sole and cowhide were obtained, materials in high demand by Cagliari bookbinders.

The museum itinerary shows the processing techniques from which visitors can understand the workers’ hardship, immersed in water and lime.

Visitors can walk on a glazed surface covering the original tanks where the leathers handling were turned into very high quality products appreciated and sold both in Italy and abroad and which made the town of Bosa the capital of the tanning industry in Italy.

The Tanning Museum in Bosa is the only one dedicated to this work and today it represents a significant place to make known and keep alive the knowledge of the ancient leather processing.

USEFUL INFORMATION
Admission with a fee>>>
Opening hours vary over the year. Check on the website>>>
It is recommended to wear a safety mask and to keep an interpersonal distance of at least 1 meter.
For information please call +39 328 878 9521

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO IN BOSA?
In Bosa it is also possible to see a perfectly preserved late 19th-century building inhabited by the wealthy families of the town. It is the Deriu House>>>

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW FURTHER INTERESTING MUSEUMS?
See a selection of curious museums all around Italy>>>

Cover photo from the official website>>>