This building, which was originally the Hospitalis de Stabio and now contains the Antiquarium “Luigi Mario Belloni e Mariuccia Zecchinelli”, houses the archaeological finds and artefacts that the architect Luigi Belloni (Milan 1927 – Gravedona 2004) collected in over forty years of tireless and passionate activity. It all started in 1958 when he was appointed honorary Inspector for Archaeological and Standing Building Heritage.
Of all his versatile and untiring work, his research into the “Isola Comacina”, commissioned by the Superintendence for the Antiquities under the guidance of Prof. Mario Mirabella Roberti, is especially remembered. His aim was to expand his understanding of the many architectural ruins on the island that had intrigued and interested him since his days as an architecture student at university, as well as to probe beneath the surface in search of evidence useful to understand the history of the “Isola Comacina” from roman times up to its destruction in 1169.
Apart from the three seasons of archaeological excavation on the Island (1958/9, 1962/3, 1968/9) Belloni also organized two underwater surveys (1970/2, 1978) with Como’s “Neptune Diving Centre” to explore the lake bottom just off the Comacina Island.
Thanks to his research in 1965 the architect Belloni was appointed Honorary Curator of the Island and Director of the Antiquarium which was housed in the sacristy of the church of St. John the Baptist on the island. In this new role Belloni planned measures to safeguard the building heritage of the island, as well as to publicize the results of his research through a number of scientific publications. In this he continuously collaborated with his wife, Dr. Mariuccia Zecchinelli (Milan 1917 – Ossuccio 2011), she too a passionate local historian and at that time the Director of the Civic Museums of Como.
Thanks to his vast knowledge of the archaeology, art and history of the Island and its surrounding territories (Ossuccio, Sala Comacina, Lenno) it was since the mid sixties that Belloni had pictured excursions and projects for this patch of the territory of Como in an attempt to revitalise the local area and to weave it into the broader fabric of the whole of the Larian territory. His commitment to promoting and enhancing the area’s historic and artistic heritage via the cultural associations that he promoted and the cultural and social initiatives that he was able to solicit foreran many examples that today characterize this territory.
In memory of Luigi Mario Belloni and Mariuccia Zecchinelli the town of Ossuccio, within the framework of territorial development set out in the “Magistri Comacini” and
in agreement with the Superintendence for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy, has reopened to the public the ancient Hospitalis de Stabio after a long period of renovation. The intention is to give everyone the chance to appreciate the results of the research that has been underway since the early twentieth century and which has enriched the history of the Island and the coastal territory with the preservation of its historic buildings and the data gathered. It is also an opportunity to realise just how much research and evaluation has been done, the restoration carried out in recent decades and to hear what initiatives are in the pipeline.
The building that today hosts the Antiquarium belongs to the hospitalis complex, a place dedicated in the past to give hospitality to poor people and pilgrims. The first information about its existence derives from an ancient document dated 1169 in which are mentioned the church of St. Mary Magdalene and the hospitalis complex. Initially, the economic management of the hospitalis was given to a deacon and later to the Giovio family, which role was officially recognized by the Pope Alexander VI through a papal bull of the 1496.
In the 1898 a portion of the complex hosted the Municipalty, while the remaining part was used as residence and stables. After the death of the last descendant of the family Giovio, in 1907, the hospitalis became the Entity called “Opera Pia Giovio”, and the Adorers Sisters of the Holy Sacrament settled in the 1959, who were already using some places as a retirement home (until 1969). In the basement also a carpentry workshop established its property, which was later substituted by an olive press that operated until the 1982. In 1992 the buildings that hosted the Municipality offices were entrusted to the Sport Society “Soccorsina”.
Before the renovation works, the building had the press which was located in the basement room and a small bathroom, while the ground floor was used by the sports club as a warehouse and there was also a recreation room where musician could play their instruments. The room that in the past did not play a role, it’s now used as a conference and meeting space, while the first floor had two adjoining rooms available after the last intervention of the late ’90th century, during which old several structural elements were eliminated.
The renovation works that led the Antiquarium to the current conformation were organized in order to preserve the main marks of the original structures which represents not only the unique survivors of the most recent intervention as a testimony of the history of the building, but they are also useful for the utilization of the structure. The first floor rooms were connected by a central flight of stairs made of stone in the 90 years while the basement, the ground and the first floor were accessible only from the outside. This intervention was usefull to better organize the available spaces and their connections, giving the structure a new ledge and a flight of stairs made of iron and glass.
The inclusion of the lift, that was studied in order to generate the less impact on the existing structure, has become useful to access easily to the four levels of the Antiquarium, and to make every place accessible to the disabled people, by overcoming those architectural barriers that the structure could impose.
Moreover during the recovery of the plasters were also preserved some signs that represent a past intention to decorate the wall.
Nowadays The Antiquarium is a place able to integrate the cultural supply of the area, which is guaranteed by the archaeological sites located on the Comacina Island through the exhibition of archaeological finds and possible multimedia supports.
The Antiquarium is also the starting point for visiting the island, by providing a service called Visitor Center, which couldn’t be located on the Comacina.
The services that are provided correspond to reception, bookshop, museum exhibition, small conference and educational room, direct and multimedia consultation of the materials that are preserved, technical rooms and restrooms.
