Surrounded by the protected natural reserve part of the Villa Panna estate, Scarperia has been famous since the 15th century for manufacturing premium knives and blades. The hamlet was founded with the name of Castel S. Barnaba in a place known as “la Scarperia”, because it was situated at the scarpa (shoe), or foot of the Apennines. Scarperia’s museum of knives and blades, called the Museo dei Ferri Taglienti, is part of the Mugello district's Museum System. This unusual but amazingly interesting museum is part of the scattered Regional Museum of the Mugello Area, a project structured into various interlinked museums located around the area - all embracing different aspects of the districts of Mugello, Alto Mugello and Val di Sieve. This network of museums brings together memories and objects that echo the local traditional crafts related to the use of natural resources, the sharecropping world, religious beliefs and the production of art objects.