Carlo Conti Museum of Archeology and Paleontology

Inaugurated in 2007, the Museum of Archeology and Paleontology of Borgosesia is dedicated to Carlo Conti (1880-1974), sculptor and Honorary Inspector of the Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont from 1923 to 1954.

The collection was formed around the nucleus of Conti finds and was integrated over time thanks to the recoveries of the GASB, the Borgosesia Archeo-Speleological Group formed in 1962 at the behest of Attilio Zanni. After him, it was Federico Strobino who gave new vitality to the group which, in the 1990s, made an enormous contribution to the scientific studies conducted by Francesco Fedele, by the Anthropology Institute of Turin and by the cooperatives sent to Monte Fenera by the Superintendence. The tradition of studies and excavations continues today at the University of Ferrara and the University of Geneva, indispensable for a scientific reading of the context and for its cultural mediation.

The didactic vocation constitutes the identity node of the Conti Museum. The intent is to offer a dynamic service, the driving force for activating actions aimed at promoting civic sense and the cultural valorisation of the territory.

The archaeological collection bears witness to the constant human presence in the area from the Middle Palaeolithic (with remains of Homo Neanderthalensis) up to the 19th century: lithic tools and prehistoric ceramic objects mainly come from Monte Fenera; funerary objects from the Iron Age and the Roman era have been found in the old town, today's Borgosesia; remains of a cave settlement, complete with handicraft activity, indicate that in the early Middle Ages man returned at least partially to the caves; materials from the castle of Vanzone describe human activities from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century.

The links with universities are significant: the museum's role is to disseminate new discoveries and ongoing studies through a structured schedule of conferences, educational workshops for schools of all types and levels, appointments for families and digital insights on the web.