Circolo dei Lettori Opens Fourth Location in Verbania on Lake Maggiore

The Circolo dei Lettori, a cultural foundation based in Turin, is opening its fourth location in Verbania on Lake Maggiore, expanding its reading and culture promotion activities beyond its existing sites in Turin, Novara, and Rivoli. The new space is housed in Palazzo Pretorio, the oldest building in the Intra district of Verbania, located in central Piazza Ranzoni. It will inaugurate on May 19 with an afternoon celebration. The foundation's sole shareholder is the Regione Piemonte, as noted by president Giulio Biino, who emphasized the brand's expansion across the region. The Verbania site joins the historic Turin location at Palazzo Graneri della Roccia (which will celebrate 18 years of activity in autumn), the Novara site at Castello Sforzesco (opened in May 2015), and the Circolo della Musica in Rivoli. Director Elena Loewenthal outlined a programming focus on nature, sustainability, conscious tourism, and cross-disciplinary dialogue, inspired by the nearby Villa Taranto botanical gardens. Topics will range from artificial intelligence to oceanography, local history to postmodern novels. The location will also serve as a hub for the foundation's festivals—Torino Spiritualità, Festival del Classico, Scarabocchi, and Radici—with introductory or follow-up events tied to their annual themes.