On March 24, 2023, in Milan, at the Sormani Library, in Corso di Porta Vittoria 6, in the Sala del Grechetto, the exhibition “Salir per l’aria e confidarsi al vento” was inaugurated, a documentary exhibition on the history of flight to Italy, starting from the first balloon experiments of the second half of the 18th century.
A particular in-depth study is dedicated to the figure of Paolo Andreani, a Milanese nobleman who was the first Italian to fly in a hot air balloon in 1784 and whose bicentenary from his death occurs this year. The figure of this great aeronaut is closely linked to the history of the building in which the library is located, which in those years was owned by the Andreani Sormani family.
The exhibition, curated by the expert Marco Majrani, author of a very recent essay on the aeronaut, in collaboration with Claudia Cisaro (Aeronord), also presents other pioneers of flight through documents and relics from private collections and from the Museum of Flight in Volandia, alongside materials from the library’s historical collections. The itinerary concludes with an excursus on the history of aerostatics and aviation in Milan and Lombardy up to the present day.
Here is a preview of images of the inauguration and the exhibition:
The exhibition, with free admission, is set up in the Scalone Monumentale of Palazzo Sormani and will remain open until 24 June 2023, with the following times: Monday – Friday from 15.00 to 19.00, Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00, closed on Sundays and holidays.
As part of this event, it should also be noted that two in-depth meetings were organized, concerning topics relating to flights to Milan:
- Thursday 13 April, 1700
Paolo Andreani, aeronaut, mountaineer, explorer, an illustrious Milanese almost forgotten, on the two hundredth anniversary of his death.
- Saturday 6 May, 4.00 pm
Milan and the Milanese in the history of flight, on the occasion of the centenary of the Italian Air Force. Also on the occasion of the exhibition, an initiative dedicated to children should also be mentioned, always having as its object the dream of flying. These are meetings with children aged 6-10, in which the dream of flying is explored through readings and creative workshops to bring children closer to classical authors and artists. The initiative is organized by the libraries of the Spazio Young of the Municipality of Milan.
- Balloon Exhibition – Foldable
- Aerostatic Exhibition – Conference Flyer
- Aerostatic Exhibition – Space Young Flyer
For more information, see the Library website, which can be reached via the following link:
https://milano.biblioteche.it/library/sormani/salir-per-l-aria-e-confidarsi-al-vento/