Museum of Industrial Heritage

Can the Cobianchi public baths be regarded as cultural assets and a common heritage to be defended and preserved? Public art can act effectively on social issues by means of installations and collective actions, suggesting and setting off a change in both mentality and cultural attitude and thus becoming an active part inside cities and their landscapes.

A touristic and cultural itinerary will connect the towns of Biella and Borgosesia following the course of the “Wool route”, as it was already called in the late 19th century. This project will open new prospects for the use and enhancement of the building that housed the Zignoni wool mill since 1877.

Instrumental mechanics  deals with the construction of machines for manufacturing industries. It holds a prominent position in the Italian industrial system for both its significant presence on the international market and its economical importance. The article synthetizes the author’s long-term research and presents observations on the dynamics of development and innovation which are typical of this field, in a strict relationship with manufacturing sections.

In 1911 the Cobianchi public baths and conveniences were established in Bologna, soon followed by a series of similar baths all over Italy, run by the family business of Cleopatro Cobianchi, a Bolognese entrepreneur. The author started a research on these buildings within the workshop with Bernardo Giorgi and Anna Rispoli that took place in October 2008 at GAP (Young People for Public Art) organized by the Office for the Promotion of Young Artists of the Municipality of Bologna.

After 1850 several foundry entrepreneurs from France, England, Switzerland and Germany were attracted by the Italian market’s development potential and decided to move part of their activities and invest capital in Italy. These new factories were characterized by the presence of highly qualified technicians, often chosen abroad by entrepreneurs, and by the opening of artistic sections in cast-iron foundries, which produced manufactured articles for city decoration and metal structures for covered markets, glasshouses, gazebos and booths.

In the years of the Italian unification important technological innovations were introduced into rice processing and cereal grinding. The article proposes an interesting route through several mills from Piemonte to Emilia-Romagna, where new manufacturing methods or new machines were brought in from anglo-saxon countries and fitted in the Italian situation.