Who is Stefano Cosma
Lawyer, essayist and journalist, Stefano Cosma is a reference figure for the valorization of the history and traditions of the Friulian panorama. Born in Trieste and currently living in Gorizia, Cosma has dedicated much of his activity to communication and food and wine, always promoting the cultural heritage of the area.
During his career he has in fact collaborated with various cultural bodies in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, curating exhibitions and historical publications: he is the author of books on local history and wines, he has written the history of Tocai, Vitovska and Gorizia viticulture. He also manages the monthly magazines Fuocolento and Esquisito and the quarterly Bubbles’ Italia, collaborates with the newspaper Il Piccolo, with the economics periodical Espansione, as well as with the Vinibuoni d'Italia guide, and with some Gambero Rosso guides.
He also made his contribution at De gusto events, presenting some books on regional food and wine and curating several workshops with local companies to promote their products.
The Museum of Rural Civilization of Imperial Friuli
In 1992 in Aiello del Friuli (UD) the Formentini family founded the Museum of Rural Civilization of Imperial Friuli, one of the richest and most complex ethnographic museums in the Northeast. The museum's heritage is in fact made up of more than 20,000 objects, divided into 3 large buildings, which tell of daily life, work and peasant traditions between 1500 and 1918, a period in which the Friulian territory was part of the Habsburg empire.
Thanks to the recent entry of the museum into the MESS – regional Ethnographic, Historical and Social Museum network - the museum has also established itself as an active cultural centre, promoter of educational initiatives, educational workshops, publications, guided tours and collaborations with local associations and institutions. Its mission is twofold: to preserve the memory of the past and pass it on to the new generations.
The return to the direction of Stefano Cosma, already curator between 1992 and 2000 and always linked to the museum project, therefore represents a choice of continuity: under his guidance, the museum is preparing to strengthen dialogue with the territory and increase its dissemination function.
The direction
At the end of the eighties, Stefano Cosma, had curated the exhibition on the Bourbons of France in exile in Gorizia, followed by another exhibition at the Wine Museum in San Floriano del Collio. During his university years he was among the main ones to set up the Aiello museum for the first opening to the public on ’92.
The return of Stefano Cosma to management in the third week of July 2025, as stated by Michele Formentini - president of the Cultural Association of Museums and Historical Reenactments - is a great satisfaction and has an important value for the future of the institution. Cosma accepted the position while maintaining his current commitments, including managing the monthly magazines and working in the area of communication.
