A cultural salon dedicated to the memory and inspiration of Alessandro Manzoni.
The Manzoniana Hall of Lesa, housed in a space behind Villa Stampa, the latter property of Manzoni's second wife and her stepson Stefano Stampa, was opened in 1979 thanks to the interest of the then mayor of Lesa Giuseppe Marenzi who immediately requested the collaboration of Casa Manzoni, the National Centre for Manzonian Studies, and found, in the then president Professor Claudio Cesare Secchi, valid support in wanting to bear witness to the repeated stays in Lesa, between 1839 and 1861, of the great writer.
The Sala Manzoniana was thus created thanks to loans from Casa Manzoni and the Rosminian Fathers of Stresa. Several memorabilia and mementos of Manzoni, Teresa Borri, his stepson Stefano, and Rosmini were lent by the two institutions, thus complementing the substantial Carcano estate held by the Municipality of Lesa. This legacy includes, in addition to the Carcano family's private papers, important correspondence and documents from the multifaceted figure Giulio Carcano: poet, novelist, translator of Shakespeare, Senator of the Kingdom, and one of Manzoni's first biographers.
In the mid-nineteenth century, on the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore, a circle of intellectuals formed. Partly because "L'Aquila never spread its wings that far," as Tommaseo wrote of Manzoni's stays, and partly because many had homes there, it became a political and cultural hub for many. Within a few kilometers lived Massimo d'Azeglio, the Arconatis, the Provanas of Collegno, Adelaide Cairoli, Cesare Correnti, Antonio Rosmini, Alessandro Manzoni, Giulio Carcano, and Ruggero Bonghi. Today, the Sala Manzoniana is home to many memories of our Risorgimento, and its walls hold books, documents, and testimonies from that period of Italian history.
The current curator, Dr. Alberto Sormani, thanks to the support of the Municipality of Lesa and the re-established collaboration with cultural institutions such as Casa Manzoni, has enriched the Hall with loans and memorabilia from the Manzoni family and Rosmini, also dedicating several display cases to the publishing success of The Betrothed. The section dedicated to Giulio Carcano and his literary output is particularly important. With 2023 marking the 150th anniversary of Alessandro Manzoni's death, the late Professor Angelo Stella, president of Casa Manzoni and one of the great writer's leading scholars, immediately supported the new direction undertaken at the Sala Manzoniana in Lesa because it represents "a significant chapter in the cultural history of this area of Lake Maggiore, which is ultimately Italian history."
The Sala Manzoniana reopened on Saturday, May 25, 2024, with an inauguration ceremony. The reopening, following major restoration work supported by the Municipality of Lesa in recent months, marked the inauguration of a new cultural destination for a venue that will become part of Manzoni's Grand Tour.
The Sala Manzoniana is open from May to September, Thursday through Sunday, with both morning and afternoon opening hours. Its opening hours are made possible thanks to the commitment of the local administration and volunteers from Lesia, passionate about the culture and memory of the great Italians who lived in these parts.
For reservations during other periods/days or for groups, school groups or scholars, as well as for information, a dedicated telephone number is active: 345/1577649.
Opening hours:
from May to September, from Thursday to Sunday
Morning: 10.00-12.00
Afternoon: 16.00pm - 18.30pm (variable hours during the summer until the evening)
Access mode:
From Lungo Lago di Lesa, proceed along Via Gibertini until the intersection with Via Alla Fontana in the direction of Belgirate