Giuseppe Zanardelli Bicentenary celebrations take center stage in Lonato del Garda as the Ugo Da Como Foundation, in collaboration with the Ateneo of Brescia and the Municipality of Lonato, presents an extraordinary series of four public conferences, guided tours, and historical dining experiences commemorating 200 years since the birth of Italy’s illustrious statesman (1826–1903).
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and supreme legal scholar, Giuseppe Zanardelli left an indelible imprint on modern Italian democracy. He championed the democratic expansion of voting rights, labor protections for women and children, judicial independence, and most famously the landmark Zanardelli Penal Code of 1889, which notably abolished the death penalty across Italy and recognized the right to strike decades ahead of European peers.
Four Autumn Conferences in Lonato del Garda
The conference cycle is hosted in the historic Council Hall (Sala Andrea Celesti) of Lonato’s Town Hall on Saturday afternoons at 17:00, with free admission:
- September 26 – Alessandro Bertoli: Giuseppe Zanardelli, Nineteenth-Century Statesman. Examining Zanardelli’s parliamentary leadership, legal ethics, and defense of constitutional liberties.
- October 3 – Valerio Terraroli (University of Verona): Antonio Tagliaferri and the Lakeside Villa for Giuseppe Zanardelli. Unveiling the architectural evolution of Zanardelli’s legendary retreat in Maderno on the shores of Lake Garda, from Tuscan Renaissance inspirations to refined Art Nouveau flourishes executed alongside Cesare Bertolotti and Ettore Ximenes.
- October 10 – Sergio Onger (President of the Ateneo of Brescia and Fondazione Ugo Da Como): Giuseppe Zanardelli and the Monumental Politics of Rome Capital. Exploring how post-unification Italy employed monumental civic architecture—most prominently the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (Vittoriano) and the Palace of Justice—as instruments of national pedagogy.
- October 17 – Stefania Cretella (University of Verona): Giuseppe Zanardelli and Public Monuments. Recounting Zanardelli’s personal patronage of civic statues for Arnaldo da Brescia and Moretto, followed by the civic monuments erected across Lake Garda following his death.
Museum Visits and Historic Banquet Evenings
Following each Saturday conference at 18:30, the Friends of the Ugo Da Como Foundation host exclusive guided evening tours through the Casa Museo di Ugo Da Como in the medieval fortress citadel of Lonato. Senator Ugo Da Como, an ardent disciple and political ally of Zanardelli, preserved rare state documents, personal letters, and nineteenth-century memorabilia connecting the two figures.
On Saturday, October 17, guests can culminate the cultural experience at restaurant TavolaMOS with a specially curated Zanardelli Banquet devised by chef Stefano Zanini. Recreating authentic nineteenth-century state banquet menus, the dinner features royal consommé (Zuppa alla Reale), roasted farm poultry, fresh seasonal fruits, local Lugana DOC wine, and artisanal coffee.
In addition, on Saturday, October 31 at 16:30, a curated visit will guide participants through the major biographical exhibition Giuseppe Zanardelli (1826–1903): Statesman, Jurist, and Man of Culture at Palazzo Tosio in Brescia. For reservations and details, contact the Fondazione Ugo Da Como at +39 030 9130060 or via email at prenotazioni@fondazioneugodacomo.it.
Curated by the Cultural Department of Fondazione Ugo Da Como for GN Magazine.
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