Monza hosts exhibition marking 50 years since Seveso dioxin disaster

A photographic exhibition titled “1976–2026. La Brianza oltre la Diossina” will open at the Palazzo del Lavoro in Monza from November 2 to 17, 2026. The event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the chemical disaster at the Icmesa plant in Meda, which occurred on July 10, 1976.

The exhibition utilizes the photographic archive of the newspaper Il Giorno to document the release of a toxic cloud containing TCDD, a dioxin substance. The collection features images and documents detailing the environmental impact, the displacement of hundreds of residents, and the subsequent recovery efforts in the Brianza region.

Beyond documenting the immediate crisis, the exhibition explores the long-term consequences of the event, including its role in the creation of the Seveso Directives, the European regulatory framework for industrial safety.