“Cola Cola” is a symbol of Gravina in the world, which has become famous for its history and deep meaning. The two-tone whistle represents a local bird referred to in dialect as “co-ula co-ula,” in fact, enriched with various hues of color that link it to the ancestral cult of Nature and its vitality that is renewed in the cyclical explosion of spring. Gravinese master craftsmen still reproduce these terracotta sculptures according to the original model dating back two centuries. The subjects of these whistles are of various types: satirical, zoomorphic and so on. The craftsmen’s artistic flair then gave rise to a series of ever new and bizarre subjects-often fantastic animals-identified in the Loglisci family as “the oddities.”

The museum “the home of Cola Cola” was established to commemorate the death of the Loglisci brothers, who belonged to the third generation of master craftsmen. It was their creativity mixed with their boundless passion for the typical whistles that made cola cola become a symbol of Gravinese uniqueness. Today Michele and Marco Loglisci, uncle and nephew respectively and the fourth and fifth generations of artisans, carry on the tradition in the 20th-century house now housing the museum. This one is located in Pope Benedict XIII Cathedral Square in an old St. Mary’s convent, and its special feature lies in the fact that everything has remained as magically still as a century ago when the sweet sound of cola cola brought joy to the hearts of children. The living room, dining room, bedroom, and kitchen today’s workshop are still as they once were, with their knick-knacks. Today, at the end of a steep flight of steps, five rooms encapsulate the entire Gravinese tradition related to whistles. Everything overflows with bizarre colorful terracotta sculptures all different from each other.

It is still possible, when visiting the museum, to observe the process of shaping and painting the special whistle, due to the fact that the master craftsmen of the Loglisci family have no intention of abandoning this ancient tradition that has now become part of their very soul.

This place is not included in any route/event.

There are no events available.