Como launches the journey towards the Bicentenary of Alessandro Volta: the University of Insubria joins the network of promoting institutions.

On Thursday 5 March, the anniversary of Alessandro Volta’s death, the University of Insubria, together with the Municipality of Como, the Como-Lecco Chamber of Commerce, the Province of Como, Confindustria Como and the Alessandro Volta Foundation, officially launched the journey towards the bicentenary of the scientist’s death in the Lake Como area. On the same occasion, a partnership with the University of Pavia and the National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci” in Milan was also announced, with the aim of building a shared programme involving the main Volta-related sites in Lombardy.

The day opened at 9.30 a.m. at the Camnago Volta mausoleum, where the Municipality of Como paid tribute at the scientist’s tomb. The commemoration was attended by Alessandro Volta’s descendants, the mayor Alessandro Rapinese, the president of the Alessandro Volta Foundation Paola Dubini, the pro-vicar general of the Diocese of Como, Monsignor Fausto Sangiani, the parish priest of Camnago Volta, the prefect of Como Corrado Conforto Galli, the police commissioner Filippo Ferri, the president of the Province Fiorenzo Bongiasca, and local military authorities.

In the afternoon, the celebrations continued at the Volta Temple, a symbolic site of the city and a museum of exceptional historical and architectural value, chosen to formally present the operational launch of the path towards 2027.

The figure of Alessandro Volta ideally and concretely connects Como, Pavia and Milan. Born in Como in 1745, the scientist began his first studies on electrical phenomena there; from 1778 he taught Experimental Physics at the University of Pavia and in 1800 presented the electric battery to the world. In this context, the University of Insubria stands as one of the institutional protagonists in the process of enhancing Volta’s legacy, helping to strengthen the link between research, higher education, science communication and the local area.

Milan also preserves, at the Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, a highly significant part of Volta’s documentary heritage: his scientific manuscripts, the National Edition of his Works and a library entirely dedicated to the scientist and his discoveries. Volta’s human and scientific journey thus unfolded between Como, Pavia and Milan, and is now at the centre of a new network project in which the University of Insubria is also directly involved.

After institutional greetings from representatives of local governance, Alessandro Rapinese for the Municipality of Como, Giuseppe Rasella for the Como-Lecco Chamber of Commerce, Fiorenzo Bongiasca for the Province of Como, Umberto Piarulli, Deputy Rector of the University of Insubria, and Gianluca Brenna for Confindustria Como, contributions were given by Alessandro Fermi for the Lombardy Region and Antonio La Gatta for the National Committee for the Bicentenary, who recalled the projects already under way.

The cultural and scientific profile of the celebrations was explored in three talks. Gianmarco Cossandi, curator of the Volta Temple, highlighted the relationship between Volta and his city, emphasising the role of the Temple as a place of identity and a living space for preserving and relaunching his legacy. Gianfranco Pacchioni, professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Milan-Bicocca, recalled the 250th anniversary of the discovery of methane, drawing attention to one of the scientist’s most important insights and to his method based on observation and measurement of phenomena. Lucio Fregonese, director of the Museum for the History of the University of Pavia, then reflected on the contemporary relevance of Volta’s thought, highlighting how his lesson continues to be present in contemporary science and in debates on the development of strategic sectors.

The second part of the meeting was dedicated to the work programme for the celebrations in the Lake Como area. Paola Dubini, president of the Alessandro Volta Foundation, presented the aims, method and priorities of the process, emphasising the intention to build a project capable of involving institutions, citizens, schools, cultural organisations and the research system. In this context, the contribution of the University of Insubria will play a central role, particularly in scientific, outreach and educational activities aimed at young people and the local area.

The local celebrations will take place over two years, with several key moments: September 2026, March 2027 and September 2027. The choice of September is linked both to the decision by the Teatro Sociale di Como to dedicate its 2026-2027 season to Volta, and to the Researchers’ Night, which will actively involve the University of Insubria, the University of Pavia and the National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci”.

Alongside these main moments, the celebrations will continue according to local calendars and will be recognisable through a shared logo and integrated communication. The initiatives will be organised into four interconnected areas: scientific activities; projects for schools of all levels; cultural and participatory initiatives; and a legacy for the local area, with publishing and multimedia activities, actions to enhance the Volta Temple, and lighting projects on the lake.

The programme has already been partly defined, but is set to be enriched by further projects promoted by individual local organisations, initiatives already under way, conferences already organised by the National Committee, and possible new collaborations.

The partnership between the Alessandro Volta Foundation and the Volta-related sites was then presented, with contributions from Federica Villa, Pro-Rector for Knowledge Transfer at the University of Pavia, and Maria Xanthoudaki, Director of the Education Department and of the Research Centre for Informal Education at the National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci”. Stefano Maiorana, emeritus professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Milan and president of the Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, brought the institution’s greetings and illustrated its work programme.

Enrico Lironi, member of the Board of Directors of Fondazione Cariplo, then spoke, conveying greetings from the president Giovanni Azzone and highlighting the Foundation’s contribution to strengthening a significant part of the overall programme of celebrations in the area. This support will allow Como to be placed at the centre of a network of activities and relationships on a regional scale, in close collaboration with Pavia and Milan, fostering connections between territories, cultural institutions and the research system. From this perspective, the presence of the University of Insubria also strengthens the scientific and academic dimension of the project.

Once the initiatives and partnerships already in place had been outlined, Paola Dubini presented 200 VOLTeVOLTA, the project by local governance bodies to involve the city and the wider area in the celebrations, which is also supported by the University of Pavia and the Science Museum in Milan.

The website alessandrovolta.it, renewed thanks to the contribution of Confindustria Como, will serve as the shared information platform through which potential local partners can be involved, initiatives can be submitted, the events calendar can be promoted and participation in the project can be broadened. The Alessandro Volta 200 logo will be made available to participating initiatives according to the procedures published on the website and has been designed to work, in perspective, with the visual identity of the national celebrations.

Through the website, it will also be possible to request patronage, express interest in volunteering activities, and nominate businesses or upper secondary schools interested in taking part in the celebrations.

The meeting also presented the lighting project for the Volta Temple, supported by IMAT FELCO SPA. Chief Executive Officer Elena Mantelli and the head of the lighting engineering department illustrated an intervention carried out using advanced technologies to enhance the city’s main museum, the only one in the world dedicated to a scientist, with new architectural lighting.

The day clearly defined the method, objectives and operational guidelines of the journey towards 2027. The levels of coordination, responsibilities and initial areas of action were set out within an already outlined calendar. The approach that emerged aims to ensure continuity of work between Como, Pavia and Milan, bringing together scientific expertise, cultural planning and the enhancement of Volta-related sites, with the direct contribution of the University of Insubria among the project’s leading participants.

At 7.15 p.m., a public event open to citizens took place outside the Volta Temple: the Lario Brass ensemble of the Como Conservatoire, conducted by Fulvio Clementi, accompanied the lighting of the building with a performance of the march by Tielman Susato, La Mourisque e Battle Pavane, followed by Scossa elettrica by Giacomo Puccini, composed for Alessandro Volta on the occasion of the first centenary of his death.

The event symbolically marked the official launch of the celebrations for the bicentenary of Alessandro Volta’s death.

In the evening, from 7.45 p.m., there was also a live broadcast on Rai Radio2 with correspondent Paolo Labati, from the Volta Temple, to interview Paola Dubini and Gianfranco Pacchioni, as part of the collaboration launched through participation in the initiative M’illumino di meno, the long-running Rai Radio2 campaign promoted by the programme Caterpillar and dedicated to environmental sustainability and the responsible use of resources.