In Polizzi Generosa, there is a small museum that houses ancient artifacts and electrical equipment from a small hydroelectric power plant and a thermoelectric power station.
The hydroelectric plant, built in 1901 by Engineer Luigi Rampolla, utilized the abundant water supply that already powered a water mill in the countryside of Polizzi. This hydroelectric system, one of the first and possibly the third built in Sicily, operated with alternating current and, when it became operational in 1903, represented a major milestone for its time.
The plant used tools and equipment specifically designed for its operation, and the collection of these items—alongside other relics and written documents—constitutes the museum's exhibition of historical electrical equipment from the period 1895 to 1960. Similarly, the tools and equipment from the thermoelectric power station, built in 1925 to meet the increasing demand for energy, acquired in 1937 by the "Impresa Elettrica Giuseppe Francesco Rampolla," and operational until 1962 (the year of the nationalization of electricity), also form part of the museum’s collection. The museum is organized into sections, with wall-mounted panels displaying the instruments and equipment, each section illustrating specific aspects of the 64 years of operation of the hydroelectric and thermoelectric power plants in Polizzi Generosa. The panels cover: Each panel includes a technical description of the equipment and electrical instruments. The museum also features an educational section, designed to show visitors how energy is produced through wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems. Some exhibits replicate, on a smaller scale, the functioning of real wind, photovoltaic, and hydraulic power plants. In addition to this, the museum displays other unique technical devices not limited to electricity (such as elements of internal electrical systems, spark gaps, dynamos, specific document reproduction tools like presses and screen printing equipment, etc.), alongside photographs, drawings, documents, and writings from the period (electricity bills, administrative and accounting correspondence, etc.). This small museum in Polizzi Generosa, which preserves and safeguards the "Private Collection of Ancient Electrical Equipment (1895-1960)," was envisioned, created, and established by Engineer Filippo Rampolla to ensure that "nothing is lost." It stands as a testament to a unique form of "industrial archaeology," showcasing the history and entrepreneurial life in Sicily from the early 20th century.
Where
Via Giovanni Borgese, 24 - Polizzi Generosa
