Museo di Pulcinella, del folklore e della civiltà contadina

In a wing of the castle, on the ground floor and on the first floor, with access from the latter, it is possible to visit the Museum of Punchinello, Folklore and Peasant Civilisation.
The museum was founded and set up in 1992 by the Acerra Nostra Cultural Centre.
It is a special museum, different from the many scattered all over Italy.
In this museum, amidst worn ploughs and ancient furniture, an attempt has been made to reconstruct not only the materials, but above all the soul of the peasant culture of Terra di Lavoro, the ancient Liburia from which the mask of Pulcinella comes.
In the rooms, in addition to the tools of agricultural work, there is also a reconstruction of the domestic environment in which much of life took place.
It was in this cultural context and in this rural dimension that Punchinello was born: the mask of the non-city, the mask of the funny and foolish peasant.
In fact, since 1500, Pulcinella and Acerra had become an inseparable pair.
For some, Puccio D'Aniello, Paolo Cinella and Paoluccio della Cerra were the characters who gave body and soul to the first Punchinello.
For others, however, it was Zanni Policiniello, a little chick whose voice was made hoarse by the pivetta or the use of a mask, who was the great and first Punchinello.
For others, the Acerrana mask represents the last heir of Maccus, the funniest and most stupid character of the Atellan comedies performed in Campania in Roman times.
The museum is situated within the ancient kitchen rooms and occupies two entire floors of the castle that formerly belonged to the city's feudal lords.
The museum comprises an archive, a library and a video library with a research section dedicated to Alfonso Maria di Nola, twelve exhibition rooms, the kitchens and the Pulcinella monument by Gennaro d'Angelo.
The museum includes a section dedicated to Pulcinella and one to the folklore of Terra di Lavoro, ancient Liburia. This section houses a collection of original documents pertaining to the popular, literary and theatrical traditions surrounding Punchinello, as well as ancient and modern works of art, costumes, masks and photographs of actors who have portrayed Punchinello, from Antonio Petito to Massimo Troisi. Additionally, the section features a range of rare objects and works of craftsmanship from Campania, spanning from ancient to modern eras.
Additionally, the museum features a reconstruction of a 17th-century theatre cage, a Pulcinello nativity scene, and a guarattelle theatre.