From Belforte Castle to Visconti Palace; what are we losing?

The walls in Pompei that recently collapsed are not an isolated incident in Italy. Even in Varese Province, there are some important monuments that are likely to be consumed by time and negligence. Neither private individuals nor local authorities have the funds to renovate everything, and these kinds of project are often put aside in this period of crisis. There are some obvious cases in the Province; like the Belforte Castle, in Varese, which dates back to the 1200s; the “Serviti di Maria” Convent in Tradate, from about 1400; the Visconti Palace in Saronno, which dates back, more recently, to the 1700s; and the monastery in Busto Arsizio, which has just received funding for a partial restoration. If you have information about other abandoned art treasures, send an email to redazione@varesenews.it.

But let’s consider these in order. The idea to save the Belforte Castle dates back to 1950s, when an article was published with the title, “Let’s save the Belforte Castle”. Since then, little or nothing has been done, and only a few ruins of the ancient castle remain. But the importance of the building is indisputable: the first part of the Castle, of which nothing remains, dated back to the 1200s, what has remained is from a later date, from the 1600s.
“It’s a battle that has been going on for many years,” explains Fabrizio Mirabelli, a leftwing member of Varese’s city council, and long-time “champion” of the restoration of the monument in Viale Belforte. “The main problem, apart from the lack of funds, is that 3 parts of the castle are privately owned. But even this obstacle has been overcome; a resolution was recently approved in the city council, which gives the go-ahead for the purchasing of privately owned areas. Now there are no more excuses; with €20,000, the city council could purchase it and then, at least, preserve it. Restoration is impossible: the situation is now greatly compromised, but saving what remains is a must.”

In Tradate, the council has managed, over the years, to regain ownership of all of the “Serviti di Maria” Convent, a historical landmark in the city, which dates back to between 1300 and 1400. At the end of 2009, the council obtained funding of €300,000 to rebuild the roof. But the restoration project established in 2008 is far from completion. There is still work that has to be done, above all the preservation of the sixteenth-century frescoes, which were discovered inside. For the time being, the building has been made safe.

In Saronno, the fire which broke out in the Visconti Palace, in September 2007, hit the headlines. One whole wing was destroyed. Immediately, the roof was rebuilt and the building was made safe so that the numerous frescoes were protected from bad weather. But the building is far from being entirely restored: despite a shortage of funds, the council recently found €100,000 to close up all of the entrances, after a complaint about the poor state of the building. Even day, politicians and associations try to understand what  future the building might have, and above all, how it might be used. “For the moment, we can only close the entrances; the situation is drastic,” explained the Mayor, Luciano Porro. “We can’t do anything else at the moment, but fitting new doors and windows will help to preserve the building better.”

The situation of the convent in Busto Arsizio is different. Once the Monuments and Fine Arts Office has given its approval, the company Agesp Servizi will make the convent safe, starting with the most damaged part, the roof. During the subsequent restoration projects, which will cost about €2,000,000, the centre for dialects, a theme library with a bookbinding workshop and a literary café will be relocated. But, here too, raising the funds necessary for the work will not be easy.