Bicycle Museum in , Museo Dei Mestieri In Biciletta This photo program takes you to a museum of bicycles in Fabriano, Italy. Bicycles were an important part of Italian life prior to the automobile. As a utilitarian function as well as the sport of cycling, Italy has many examples of practical and professional bicycles. If you are interested in the racing bikes and Italy’s famous cyclists, see the sources below that trace its rise and fall in history. Fabriano is a town and a municipality of province in the region of in Italy. It is an inland community that is over 1000 feet above sea level. It was founded in the early Middle Ages. Fabriano’s history is tied to the making of paper. It is the largest town in the . The Chinese are attributed as the inventor of making paper, but it was the Arabs that learned the means of manufacturing paper. The Arabs spread that long and arduous process, and in the 13th century it came to Fabriano. It became “the most important paper production center in Europe.” The first paper mill opened in 1276. In the monastery of San Domenico the famous Museum of Paper and Watermark can be found. Fabriano’s papermaking history is very interesting. In a Italoamericano.org article, “The secular history of Fabriano’s precious paper,” an excellent background is provided. “Today, the Cartiere Fabriano remain among the most prestigious in the world. Their full, official name is Cartiere Miliani Fabriano.” Fabriano’s “Crafts by Bicycle” (Mestieri in bicicletta) museum introduction: “Crafts by bicycle reveals, in all its drama, the effort and the effort to solve the problems of everyday life and start living, with the sweat of their work, a dignified existence in the difficult post‐war periods of the first and of the second world war. The bikes in the collection are original. It was not possible to establish the year of construction of the bicycles because they have undergone continuous modifications for adaptations wanted by the owners, some are the regions of origin instead. There are 87 bicycles in the museum.” Utilitarian bicycles

“THE GRINDER: In the past, the grinder often carried out its craft moving with a sort of bicycle‐cart with a large wooden wheel, covered by an iron rim; the cart, once arrived at the workplace, was literally overturned on itself and transformed into the work tool. To the wheel a pedal was hooked with various articulations, the belt for the transmission of the movement to the grinding wheel and on a protruding part of the cart was fixed, the knife then fixed a bucket with water dripping onto the grinding wheel by a small metering tap, with lubricant functions. To turn a tool, the knife grinder gave the wheel a well‐beaten and continuous movement, and with skilled hand gestures passed it on the grindstone until the blade became sharp.”

“THE BARBER: In the city and the countryside, he cut his hair and made beards, especially during the holidays, when he got dressed in good clothes.”

“CHESTNUTS: Present at parties and on Sundays in the village, it sold roasted chestnuts and peanuts, giving a bit of warmth in the cold and long winter days. It is probably one of the very few professions that have lasted. Roasted chestnuts were sold in funnel‐shaped containers made of newspaper sheets.”

“THE MILKMAN: Walking milkmen used to arrive early in the morning with their bicycles on which were placed two large aluminum tubs full of fresh milk that sold in the streets after drawing attention screaming "Lattèe! Lattèe!”

Racing bicycles

Sources: https://fabriano.com/en/324/history, http://www.mestieriinbicicletta.it/, https://italoamericano.org/story/2017‐4‐19/fabriano‐paper, http://www.smartraveltoitaly.com/en/fabriano‐marche/, https://cyclingthepaperoad.com/2017/05/31/paper‐bicycle‐museums‐in‐fabriano/, https://www.history.com/news/pedal‐your‐way‐through‐the‐bicycles‐bumpy‐history, https://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/1147, http://italiancyclingcollection.com/history/, http://www.italianways.com/the‐art‐of‐cycling‐in‐italy/, https://www.shuttvr.com/blogs/news/98198087‐italy‐the‐ spiritual‐home‐of‐cycling, http://www.bianchiusa.com/history/, https://www.biciclettami.it/en/tag/vintage‐bicycles/, http://bicyclespecialties.blogspot.com/2009/10/museums‐in‐italy.html, https://www.fabrianoboutique.com/history‐and‐tradition and http://www.paperhistory.org/museums‐it.htm. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Bicycle Museum in Fabriano, Italy