Antique key collection on show at the Castle of Monferrato

On Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., the permanent exhibition of antique keys will be inaugurated in the tower of Monferrato Castle, adjacent to the steps leading to the Marescalchi Hall. This collection, the fruit of thirty years of research, was donated to the City of Casale Monferrato by Giovanni Zavattaro, a Monferrato native, in memory of Amelia Paciello, his lifelong companion. The collection, in its entirety, consists of approximately 150 antique keys, a unique heritage that combines history, design, and mechanical ingenuity. These objects, primarily made of iron, steel, or bronze, are not just tools, but testimonies of a past spanning from the Roman era to the Baroque period to the 19th century. Like all human works, keys reflect the spirit of the era in which they were forged: Romanesque keys are austere and essential, with a ring-shaped grip and a plain shaft, and the keys are undoubtedly elaborate, but only for the purpose of making the lock more secure. Some concessions to aesthetics can be found in artifacts produced in the early Gothic period, when the heads become predominantly rhomboidal, but it is in the Renaissance period that the pursuit of beauty reaches its peak. The grips can be multi-lobed, in the shape of an inverted heart, with floral or zoomorphic motifs, and, in Venetian keys, depict the rose windows of contemporary churches. The capitals at the top of the shaft also become increasingly refined, while the keys feature elegantly symmetrical motifs. This trend continues through the Baroque period and into the 18th century, gradually fading in the following centuries when, with the exception of commemorative keys, production ceases to be artisanal and becomes mass-produced. The exhibition will be open to visitors free of charge during Monferrato Castle opening hours.