The celebrations for the bicentenary of the invention of the battery date back to 1995, the year of the 250th anniversary of Volta’s birth. Even then, a working group composed of local authorities in Como and the “A. Volta” Centre for Scientific Culture drew up a preliminary programme, defining the objectives, methods and ambitions of a celebration with national and international scope.
Between 1997 and 1999, a complex institutional architecture took shape: the Lombardy Regional Committee, the Como and Pavia Promotional Committees and, finally, the National Committee, established by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. Thanks to these bodies, significant public and private funding was made available, enabling the implementation of an extensive programme coordinated across multiple territories.
In keeping with Volta’s tradition, considerable attention is devoted to the study of historical sources. Alongside the reprinting of fundamental works and the recovery of manuscripts, the Bicentenary marks a decisive turning point with the digitisation of Volta’s works, making them accessible to the international scientific community. This work consolidates Volta not only as a historical figure, but also as an author who is still active in scientific debate.
The 1999 programme favours a widespread museum model. Work is carried out on historical collections, scientific cabinets and laboratories, alongside new educational reconstructions and permanent exhibition spaces. The exhibition “1799… e la corrente fu” (1799… and the current flowed) is emblematic, restoring the scientific and cultural significance of the Voltaic pile to the general public.
The Bicentennial took on a strongly itinerant dimension: exhibitions dedicated to Volta and electricity travelled around Italy and abroad, as far as Paris and Expo 2000 in Hanover. Among the most innovative initiatives were multimedia and interactive exhibitions, such as Imaginary Journey into the Mind of a Genius, which combined science, entertainment and new technologies.
1999 was also a year of intense scientific activity: conferences, symposiums and lectures brought together physics, the history of science, technology and society. From the Volta Centre at the University of Pavia to Como and Mendrisio, the figure of Volta provided an opportunity to reflect on the role of electricity and science in the contemporary world.
Le celebrazioni del 1999 non si esauriscono nell’evento. Le numerose pubblicazioni, i cataloghi di mostre, le monografie tematiche e i progetti museali lasciano un’eredità concreta e duratura. Il Bicentenario della Pila consacra definitivamente Alessandro Volta come figura chiave nella storia della modernità scientifica e tecnologica.
