The Ugo Da Como Foundation in Lonato del Garda has been officially included in the Lombard Nineteenth-Century Network, a network that brings together museum institutions whose identity is deeply connected to the vast cultural and artistic landscape of the 19th century. The Foundation’s membership represents a significant acknowledgment of the multifaceted interests of Senator Ugo Da Como, a prominent figure in the cultural and political context of Brescia between the 19th and 20th centuries. His extensive artistic, archival, and library collections are indeed an essential reference point for studies on the 19th century.
The monumental complex that houses the Senator’s properties includes the historic Visconti-Venetian Fortress and the Ugo Da Como House Museum, known as the “Casa del Podestà.” The latter underwent careful restoration by Antonio Tagliaferri (Brescia 1835-1909), one of the leading Brescian architects of the 19th century.
A Unique Example of Nineteenth-Century Residence
The House Museum of Lonato del Garda illustrates the influence of 19th-century models of Lombard house museums, particularly those in Milan, on the regional territory. Occupied until 1944, the residences in Lonato are preserved in a condition that makes them one of the most relevant testimonies of the taste and bourgeois living style prevalent in 19th-century Lombardy. In the Brescian context, where the neo-Gothic style maintained its relevance until the mid-20th century, there are no other comparable examples in which architecture and content, such as period furnishings and displays, so faithfully reflect 19th-century culture.
Richness of Archival and Library Collections
In addition to the art objects that adorn the House Museum, the extraordinary archival and library collections stand out. The Foundation’s Library, with approximately 52,000 volumes dating back to the 12th century, is one of the largest private collections in Northern Italy. Among its treasures are 404 incunabula, thousands of works from the 16th century, and rare illustrated volumes from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The 19th century is particularly represented by the first edition with an autograph dedication from Ugo Foscolo to the Brescian countess Marzia Martinengo. The relationship between the poet and the countess is documented by a section of Foscolo’s correspondence, consisting of 48 letters acquired by Ugo Da Como from the antiquarian market.
In 2010, the Foundation acquired the Tagliaferri Fund, a collection of about 5,000 drawings related to the main construction sites in Brescia and Lombardy, primarily dating between 1850 and 1890. These drawings provide significant testimony to the architectural and artistic culture of historicist origins in the second half of the 19th century.
More recently, in 2020, the Lombardi Donation was added, consisting of the remaining materials from the Lombardi stonecutters’ workshop, active since the second half of the 18th century. Notable figures include the sculptor Giovanni Battista Lombardi (Rezzato 1822-Brescia 1880). Particularly noteworthy are the two monumental Lions, originally designed for Porta San Nazaro in Brescia and created in 1888 by Domenico Ghidoni, which will soon be placed in the Park of the Rocca in Lonato.
The library heritage has been further enriched by the Deposit of Cav. Luigi Nocivelli, which includes numerous printed works from the 19th century, among which stands out the monumental Déscription de l’Egypte (1809-1822) in a splendid copy from a prestigious English collection.
Cultural Activities and Events
The Ugo Da Como Foundation not only ensures access to guided tours of the monumental complex, which records about 50,000 visitors, but also offers the possibility to consult its archival and library holdings. Temporary exhibitions contribute to the deepening of 19th-century culture; a recent example is the exhibition “At the Origins of the Beautiful Country,” which presented around 50 19th-century photographs from the Collection of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation in Turin.
Recognized by the Lombardy Region, the Foundation is an essential reference point for the study of 19th-century Brescian history, distinguished by its dynamism and rich offering of cultural events.
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