Varese to host Archivio del Moderno in former Caserma Garibaldi

The Municipality of Varese, the Accademia di architettura of the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), and the Lombardy Archival Superintendency have signed an official agreement to host part of the Archivio del Moderno within the former Caserma Garibaldi.

The Archivio del Moderno is an international research center specializing in the preservation and study of documents related to architecture, engineering, design, urban planning, and visual arts. It holds the collections of prominent 20th-century Italian figures, including Ignazio Gardella, Anna Gili, and Giancarlo Iliprandi.

The decision to locate the archive in Varese follows a 2019 rejection of a similar proposal by the city of Como. Varese was selected due to its geographic proximity to the Swiss border and efficient rail connections to Ticino. The new cultural hub, located in the 9,000-square-meter former military complex, is expected to be ready by the end of April, with the first archival funds arriving from Balerna by 2027.