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This unique museum, situated in Coreglia Antelmineli in Lucca province, houses about 1300 plaster works made by local "figurinai" over the centuries. The collection does not only consist of works brought back home by the traveling craftsmen, but also of passports and other documents, letters and tools belonging to the emigrants.

Established in 1975, the museum is partly a collection of artworks and partly a social history museum; the display of items is accompanied by a detailed historical and social reconstruction of the phenomenon of migration amongst the population of Bagni di Lucca and Coreglia from the 17th century onwards.

In the basement there is a workshop where visitors can see the various steps involved in producing plaster statues. Every year in December an event called "Le vie del Presepe", literally the Crib Trails is held in Bagni di Lucca. There are two main parts to it: an exhibition of statues and sacred furnishings at the Circolo dei Forestieri in Bagni di Lucca, and guided tours of workshops in the town and surrounding area.

For more information visit

• Coreglia Antelmineli