In 1949, Como celebrated the 150th anniversary of the invention of the battery with a wide-ranging and varied programme, presented in a special issue of the magazine Voltiana, the official publication of the Committee for the Commemoration of Volta. The events ranged from science to popular culture, reflecting the desire for civil and cultural renewal in post-war Italy.
The calendar of celebrations includes a wide variety of initiatives: institutional conferences, exhibitions on applied electricity, film and music festivals, horse racing and motor racing competitions, and even an international congress dedicated to television. This diversity of events reflects the intention to make Volta’s legacy accessible to a wide and diverse audience.
One of the most scientifically significant moments was the International Conference on Cosmic Rays, organised by the Italian Physics Society in September 1949. The conference marked Italy’s return to the international scientific debate and saw the participation of Enrico Fermi, on his first return to his homeland after his years in America.
The presence of Fermi and the role of Giovanni Polvani, promoter of the rebirth of the Italian Physical Society and founder of the International School of Physics at Villa Monastero, gave the 1949 celebrations a significance that went beyond historical commemoration: Volta’s pile became a symbol of scientific continuity and cultural rebirth in the post-war period.
