In 1927, Como celebrated the centenary of Alessandro Volta’s death with a programme that aimed to renew and surpass the splendour of 1899. Alongside the exhibitions, there were major scientific conferences, infrastructure projects and the construction of architectural works destined to leave a permanent mark on the urban and symbolic landscape of the city.
To coordinate the celebrations, an Honorary Committee, an Executive Committee headed by Guglielmo Marconi, a Commission for Voltian Studies and a Commission for Scientific Congresses, chaired by Quirino Majorana, were established. Operational coordination was entrusted to Enrico Musa, who succeeded in involving industry, academia and national institutions.
The main venue for the exhibitions was Villa Olmo, purchased by the municipality with the help of local citizens. Temporary pavilions designed by Napoleone Montorfano were erected around the villa, covering a total area of approximately 12,000 m². The exhibitions were divided into three main sections: hydroelectric industries, telephony and telegraphy, and the national silk industry.
The monumental heart of the celebrations is the Tempio Voltiano, inaugurated in July 1928 to provide a permanent home for Volta’s relics, which were destroyed in a fire in 1899. Commissioned and financed by Francesco Somaini and designed by Federico Frigerio, the neoclassical building is explicitly inspired by the Pantheon, combining museum function and solemn celebration.
The Temple has a four-sided layout with a circular central hall topped by a large dome with zenithal lighting. The perimeter rooms house the original relics, fragments recovered from the fire and faithful reconstructions of Volta’s instruments. The materials and decorations combine to make the building a monument that symbolises the city’s identity.
Among the symbolic works created in 1927, the Voltiano Lighthouse stands out. It was erected on the hill of San Maurizio by Italian postal and telegraph workers on the occasion of the International Congress of Telegraph Operators. Inaugurated on 8 September 1927, the lighthouse projects beams of green, white and red light every night, becoming one of the most recognisable symbols of homage to Volta.
The 1927 International Congress of Physicists was one of the most important scientific events in Italy in the early 20th century. The sessions were held in Como, Pavia and Rome, bringing together the leading figures in modern physics. In Como, the proceedings took place at the Carducci Institute, in the room now known as the “Nobel Room”.
