Swiss philanthropist Léonard Gianadda dies at 88, leaves cultural legacy

Léonard Gianadda, the Swiss engineer, philanthropist, and founder of the Fondation Pierre Gianadda in Martigny, died on December 3, 2023, at age 88 from bone cancer. Born in 1935 in Martigny, Valais, to a family of Italian origin from Curino (Biella), Gianadda initially worked as a photojournalist in the 1950s, inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson, before earning an engineering degree in Lausanne. In 1978, he established the Fondation Pierre Gianadda, named after his brother who died in a 1976 plane crash, as a private cultural institution combining a Gallo-Roman temple museum with contemporary art exhibitions. The foundation, which celebrated 10 million visitors by 2018, includes a sculpture park formalized with a 1989 Henry Moore exhibition, the Musée de l'Automobile, and the Pavillon Szafran. Gianadda served on the commissions of the Musée d'Orsay (2004–2010), the Phillips Collection in Washington (2005–2014), and the Musée Rodin (2006–2012). In April 2024, a retrospective exhibition on his life and work will reopen at the Old Arsenal in Martigny. His funeral is scheduled for December 7, 2023, in Martigny.