Museums and local development – the example of the Museum of Bread (Seia)

Abstract

Museums may constitute instruments for a coherent network of structures, resources, essential equipment in strengthening of a memory and identity and in the emergence of a geographical relevance, and thus contribute to the construction of new roads and the involvement of new actors able to promote development. In order to examine how the Museum spaces can contribute to revitalize the area, improve the quality of life of residents, local identity, attract new visitors and thus to contribute to the local development, we emphasize the Museum of Bread (Seia), a private investment, inaugurated in 2002 (and receiving more than 100 thousand visitors/year), and we give preference to the presentation and discussion of data transferred by the Museum as well as the results of surveys by questionnaire and interviews to visitors (in the first case by factor analysis of multiple matches).