New Diffuse Museum Along Adda River Links Leonardo to Industrial Heritage

The project 'Identità Fluenti' has established a new diffuse museum along the Adda River in Lombardy, Italy. This initiative, developed by the Ecomuseo Adda di Leonardo with support from Garden65 and funding from the Lombardy Region through the InnovaCultura program, aims to enhance tourism by connecting cultural, technological, and artistic elements. The project involved over 18 months of work to map and valorize a 30-kilometer stretch of the river between Imbersago and Cassano d'Adda, encompassing areas in the provinces of Lecco, Bergamo, Monza and Brianza, and Milan. The region is historically linked to Leonardo da Vinci, who was hosted by the Melzi family in Vaprio d'Adda in the early 16th century and left sketches related to local hydraulic works. The area features diverse heritage sites, including Roman and medieval remains, Renaissance villas, historic bridges like the iron arch bridge in Paderno, hydroelectric plants such as Centrale Esterle and Centrale Taccani, and industrial archaeology sites like a 19th-century hat factory in Robbiate. Project curator Annalisa Ferraro explained the river has historically unified the nine municipalities in the ecomuseum, established in 2006. The work has mapped over 260 locations and created 26 thematic itineraries, accessible via an interactive digital platform. This platform includes multimedia content and video interviews with local residents, whose stories helped identify lesser-known sites. Community mapping involved public assemblies and individual interviews, with illustrations by Silvia Marinelli. On-site, three interactive multimedia totems have been installed in Imbersago, Trezzo sull'Adda, and Fara Gera d'Adda. Contemporary art interventions include four permanent installations of the diffuse work 'Limen. I luoghi soglia' by artist Jasmine Pignatelli. The area is promoted for exploration by foot or bicycle via existing trails and cycle paths, connecting to broader regional contexts like the Parco Adda Sud and the UNESCO site of Crespi d'Adda.