THE INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND IN MILAN.

A MULTIFACETED MUSEUM COMPLEX Maria Canella Introductory remarks Over the years, encouraged by local organisations and bank foundations committed to protecting and broadening the attractiveness and access to the cultural heritage of Regione Lombardia, the principal cultural institutions have focused on achieving synergies aimed at maximising resources and strengthening their action through the creation of a virtuous network of cultural interconnections that is quite unique at both domestic and international levels. The Institute for Blind People (Istituto dei Ciechi) is a poignant example of the key role played by public and private funding, which has gone a long way in safeguarding, restoring and highlighting the wide range of artwork and documents that make up the Louis Braille Museum. Thanks to the commitment shown by the Institute, frescoes, paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs can now be consulted by scholars and admired by an ever wider audience made up of both sighted and visually impaired persons. It is a tangible proof of the work and creativity that has bound and continues to bind the Institute for Blind people with its territory of reference and civil society in Milan and in the region of Lombardy. The history, development and protection of the historical and artistic heritage of social assistance institutes feature traits that need to be considered separately. Unlike most other Italian cultural institutes (museums, archives, libraries), social assistance entities have mostly succeeded in preserving the integrity of the historical collections handed down from the past. This tradition of safekeeping, whereby archives, libraries, architectural works and territorial settings, besides rich arrays of objects and tools (scientific, medical, pedagogical, liturgical, agricultural, etc.) have not been dispersed, emerged not necessarily out of an intentional cultural policy but rather as a consequence of the continuity, often spanning centuries, of the institutes specific missions and related income-making activities. The historical and artistic heritage of the Milan Istituto dei Ciechi is a case in point, for this continuity has given the opportunity to create multidisciplinary paths that shed new light on the original meaning and use of the individual objects, which are consequently set against their appropriate historical context.

A few remarks on the history of the Institute Although falling within the broader pattern of Milans various aid and charity organisations, the history and development of Istituto dei Ciechi features characteristics that set it apart with respect to the other institutes. The second oldest in the country after the one in Padua, the Milan Institute for Blind People was founded in 1840 by Michele Barozzi, who had been planning the creation of a school for blind children for a few years. The first two children were initially welcomed at the Pia Casa dIndustria, the charity institute Barozzi was in charge of at that time. (The two children were depicted in the well-known painting that immortalises the foundation of the Institute). The following year, the children who had meanwhile increased to 12 were moved to the almshouse at S. Marco. By 1855, the number had grown to around 50 and it became clear that a new and independent house was needed. Thanks to the generosity of count Sebastiano Mondolfo, a modern boarding house was built on Corso di Porta Nuova. When Barozzi died in 1867, Mondolfo took over with the intention of giving the blind an assistance that was systematic and constructive so that it would one day be possible for the blind to take part, profitably and with dignity, in the large and complicated world of creative activity. At his death, six years later, count Mondolfo was replaced by Francesco Zirotti, who completed the construction of Asilo Mondolfo, the kindergarten in Corso di Porta Nuova. In his testament, Zirotti left funds for the construction of a workshop for the education and vocational training of destitute blind adults. Established in 1884 at via Cernaia, the Laboratorio Zirotti was designed according to very modern criteria. It didnt take long for the three institutes Istituto dei Ciechi, Asilo Mondolfo and Laboratorio Zirotti to start achieving outstanding results. The first in Italy to adopt in 1864 the Braille system, they were invited to take part in the 1881 Expo, while the Institutes orchestra performed in Turin, London and Paris. In October 1892, the Institute moved from Corso di Porta Nuova to via Vivaio, the present venue designed by the architect Giuseppe Pirovano. In 1910, in his role as director, monsignor Luigi Vitali inaugurated a new nursery school for children in the 4-to-8 age group. In 1925, Monsignor Pietro Stoppani, who succeeded monsignor Vitali, opened a home for blind women. In those same years, the Institute also took up the grievous task of providing a home for blind world war one veterans. Istituto dei Ciechi was officially given the status of school and placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education in 1926, gaining official recognition in 1933. In 1939, a vocational school for the blind was set up incorporating the wicker, carpentry and knitting workshops. During World War II the Institute was evacuated to Varese province, its premises occupied by the Allied Military Command, which handed back the venue in 1946. Two new experimental schools were opened in 1958 dedicated to carpet stitching and massaging.
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After the war, the Institute focused once again on its core business of educating blind people, not only forging strong contacts with other domestic and international organisations but also emerging as an innovative force in conceiving, producing and disseminating teaching methods as well as equipment, tools and books. Description of the historical, cultural and artistic heritage of the Institute The eventful history of the Institute for the Blind outlined above also led to the accumulation of a significant historical and artistic heritage not unlike those belonging to the many charitable institutions that flourished in Milan in the 19th and 20th centuries. In June 2009, Istituto dei Ciechi entered an application demanding that its historical, artistic and documentary heritage be officially granted the status of museum collection. As clearly set out in its Statute, the Louis Braille Museum is permanent cultural, educational and scientific institution whose mission is to conserve and disseminate the knowledge of its collections for the benefit of both specialists and non-specialists, with special attention being reserved for disabled persons. The Museum, additionally, acts as a research and stimulus centre for the activities of the Institute for the Blind of Milan, highlighting the latters heritage and scientific output through innovative museographic transposition and through a series of educational programs and popularising initiatives (exhibitions, publications, pamphlets, teaching materials, website). The Museum also intends to promote and support the cooperation between government bodies (state, region, province, municipality), cultural heritage boards, universities, research institutes, museums, local authorities and public and private associations, with a view to enhance the value of its historical and artistic holdings by integrating it within a wider network of local and national cultural institutions and museums. The headquarters The Museums collections are located at via Vivaio in premises featuring period decorations and elegant furniture. The stuccoes and decorations in the halls are the work of skilled craftsmen handpicked by Giuseppe Pirovano himself. In particular, the concert hall and the chapel were decorated by Celso Stocchetti and Ferdinando Brambilla, painters who both taught at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Brera. The museums historical and art heritage consists of the following: Works of art Collection of typhlology tools Collection of musical instruments Historical archive
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Photographic archive Library

Works of art The Institute owns a rich collection of artworks. A significant portion of the collection consists of large-sized paintings, with 200 portraits of donors dating from 1843 to 1968. Less numerous but of great interest is the collection of miscellaneous artworks, that is to say, paintings and sculptures bequeathed or donated to the museums by benefactors. The Institutes art collection includes a significant number of paintings received from donors who often not only bequeathed artwork but also pieces of furniture and decorations from their homes. The Louis Braille Museum Collection of typhlology tools The first in Italy to adopt the Braille code in 1864, Istituto dei Ciechi of Milano set up a unique collection of special equipment for the blind, including printed books and typhlology materials. The items kept at the museum also provide a record of the transition from the use of relief writing to the implementation of the Braille code that took place in the Institute. Located in the wing along via Vivaio, besides bearing witness to the development of the writing methods for the blind, the collection accompanies visitors on a highly emotional journey where the instruments on display continue to have a strong impact. The will to set up this invaluable collection and to make it accessible to a larger public is a tribute to the outstanding work carried out by the pioneers of typhlology, and is evidence of the educational drive and commitment to ongoing research that has always been a key feature of the Institutes endeavours. Collection of musical instruments The collection of musical instruments is proof of the importance music had in the educational programmes and goals of the Institute, where all students received basic training in music those that showed greater musical talent were given a diploma. In the music curriculum, the focus was on choir singing and keyboard instruments (piano, organ and harmonium) not least because these disciplines that offered more openings. A highlight of the collection is the large concert hall organ. Besides enabling young organists to practice it was also used to accompany religious services in the adjacent church and for religious music concerts. Outstanding are also the pianos, which were used to teach music and to train future piano tuners. While the teaching of wind instruments was discontinued in the early 20 th century, the Institute

continued to teach students how to play string instruments, namely the violin, viola and violoncello, as attested by the pieces on display. The historical archives The historical archives of the Institute consist of some nine-hundred items, including files and registers, chronologically listed over a time frame spanning from 1830 to 1970. Housed in the via Vivaio building, the archives can be consulted in spaces specifically reserved for this purpose, where spacious shelving and large desks are available to all those who wish to consult the important documents that are kept here. The earliest holdings date back to 1892, the year when, in view of the imminent move to new headquarters in via Vivaio, the decision was made to reorganise the documents. The existing paper documents were classified and an inventory was compiled. Then, the documents were stored in 463 elegant cardboard boxes that can still be admired today. Appropriately organised and carefully catalogued, the documents have brought to light various aspects of the Institutes history, namely the policies implemented by its directors, its ties with similar institutions around Europe, and a record of the events and organisational changes that have occurred through the years. A section of the archives is related, for example, to the acquisition of the building at Porta Nuova and the restructuring of the palazzo in via Vivaio and the successive refurbishments carried out on the building, all of them accompanied by the original plan layouts. A key section of the archives dedicated to the Benefactors documents the bequests received from the donors, their acceptance by the Institute, extracts from wills, inventories of estates, correspondence and even letters of engagement given to painters. The archives thus constitute an invaluable source, not only for the reconstruction of the history of the Institute, but also that of the network of charities and organisations that operated in the city at the time. It also provides an inestimable source of information on the art scene and the development of celebratory portraitmaking of the time. Photographic archive The Institutes photographic archives are comprised of over 2,000 photographs taken between the end of the 19th century and the present day. Multifaceted and composite, the collection is inestimable from both the historical and the documentary standpoint. A key section of the collection is about the history of the Institute. The images provide a record of students, attending music classes, at workshops, during vocational training, of governmental and religious dignitaries on official visits. Other photos depict the via Vivaio headquarters during the various phases of its development.

A collection of photographs from donors mostly consist of images given by the benefactors themselves to be used in making of their celebratory portraits. Other images are family and travel photos. The oldest photos are albumen silver prints in the characteristic cartes de visite format belonging to the family of the founder Michele Barozzi. And finally the archives contain a significant number of images taken in the course of photo shoots aimed at documenting the Institutes art heritage, from the art gallery to various artworks, the headquarters in via Vivaio and several cemetery monuments at Milans Cimitero Monumentale. Thanks to a major reorganisation, with the compilation of a new catalogue and inventory, now the photographs kept in ad hoc boxes can be consulted more easily. In addition, the oldest group of photos those listed in the catalogue under the F section can be digitally consulted in the archives reading room. Library The Institutes library is the outcome of successive book aggregations following the donations of various benefactors and Institute directors. While providing an explanation to the heterogeneity of the collection, the books also shed light on the cultural interests of donors over the decades. A key donation came from Pietro Stoppani, whose library, besides religious books, included volumes dealing with widely diversified topics, such as geography, science, astronomy, literature, history, philosophy and pedagogy, reflecting the eclectic nature of Stoppanis personality. While most of the librarys 3,000-volume heritage dates to the period from the second-half of the 19th century to the early part of the 20th century, there are a number of classics going back to the 19 th century, such as the outstanding 1757 edition of Pietro Metastasios complete works, and the even older Officium Beatae Virginis Mariae, a sacred text published in Venice in 1715. Kept in precious 1850s bookcases, the works belong to various genres and include religious, literature, history, science and architecture books, while a significant number deal with typhlology. The library also keeps a collection of the Institutes publications on its own history. This group of publications includes books marking the anniversaries the Institute as well as periodicals such as Alba Serena. Heritage-enhancement initiatives: initiatives carried, future projects, promotion and users The many essays contained in the 2003 volume Luce su luce (Light on Light) providing a reconstruction of the history of the Istituto dei Ciechi of Milan, reveal that the Institute over the last decade has been committed to enhancing its historical, documentary and artistic heritage. Founded in 1840, the Institute in fact owns a heritage, comprising artworks, library and archive, so conspicuous as to make it one of the truly outstanding cultural aggregations in Milan and the entire
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Lombardia region. The sheer range and wealth of the heritage has entailed a highly diversified action requiring a variety of skills in order to conserve, catalogue and facilitate its access to an ever wider public of users in the city and the region as a whole. Initiatives carried out so far include: book Luce su luce. Limpegno della solidariet dalla carit alla scienza, edited by Marco G. Bascap, Maria Canella, Sergio Rebora, Silvana Editoriale, Milan 2003 Louis Braille museum of typhlology instruments with approximately 1,000 visitors annually website with hundreds of pages dedicated to all sections of the historical and artistic heritage of the Institute (all pages are accessible to the non-sighted) approximately 15,000 visitors annually Luce su luce quarterly bulletin providing a report on the Institutes initiatives Print run of 10,000 copies for each number Arte del tatto (Tactile Art) exhibition inaugurated in 2008 and permanently on show at the Institute showcasing the reproductions of twenty classic sculptures for direct tactile exploration, whose originals are kept at the Louvre in Paris Approximately 6,000 visitors annually Access by scholars, researchers, students, university and post-doc graduates who wish to consult the Institutes photography and historical archives and library Approximately 100 users annually The intensive action taken by the Institute to enhance the value of its historical, cultural and artistic heritage includes a series of significant initiatives. To fund these initiatives, besides relying upon its own resources the Institute has sought contributions from bank foundations and local organisations. The action is aimed at facilitating the work of scientific committee members who will be called upon in the coming years to work on the Institutes art, museum, documentary, photographic and library heritage so as to make it fully accessible to the public. The end in view is to ensure: Complete and systematic cataloguing; Appropriate storage and systematic protection; Modern and efficient heritage enhancement efforts; Fruition by scholars and laymen, and, first and foremost, by the visually impaired and physically disabled.

Istituto dei Ciechi is to launch a vast cataloguing project and a heritage enhancement drive through the following new projects: The publication of specific catalogues for each section of the museum; Updating the website pages relating to the various sections of the musical collection; The drawing-up of a multimedia enhanced museum visitors itinerary offering in-depth information of the items on show (with references to similar items kept in other museums elsewhere). In this light, the Institute is targeting refresher courses for its staff by benchmarking the action taken by similar institutions in the management and handling of museum collections over the past years. The aim is: To forge links with other city, national and European museums so as to facilitate the exchange of experience in the cataloguing, protection and enhancement of heritage and listed items of various typologies (paintings, sculptures, typhlology and musical instruments, books and documents) with a view to ensuring a modern and state-of-theart museum management; This will make it possible to complete the cataloguing process and make the entire collection available to the public, opening sections that had hereto been unavailable for public viewing, namely the painting and musical instruments collections; Museum visitors itineraries will be enhanced by didactic and illustrative materials, including references to items kept not only in other sections but also in similar institutes elsewhere; The historical and didactic materials, in both downloadable and paper versions (brochures, section catalogues, the Institutes history volume, inventories for the archive and the library, etc.), will ensure permanent access to all the Institutes museum sections, which will therefore be open for the wider audience (painting gallery and the museums of typhlology and musical instruments) as well as for the specialist users (historical and photographic archive and library); All historical didactic material will be available on the site and showcased in the Braille Museum for the blind; access will be ensured for the physically disabled who will therefore be able to visit the museum; The cataloguing process, as well as the heritage-enhancement initiatives, are urgent and serve also to prevent the deterioration of the items on show, especially the typhlology and musical instruments, which will undergo restoration in the coming months. The

work envisaged ultimately targets the goals set by the regional government in upping museum standards across Lombardia; Refresher courses for museum staff, namely the members of the steering committee, will be ensured by the links with other Italian and European museums (data collected from Italian and European museums will be gathered in a file) and by a specialisation course involving archive and museum representatives in Milan (the lessons held at the course will also be gathered in a file that can be downloaded from the website); Initially aimed at seeking exchange in the areas of catalogue compilation and collection enhancement, the links with city, national and European museums ultimately target the strengthening of ties between scientific institutions sharing finalities similar to those set out by Istituto dei Ciechi; In particular, research, restoration and heritage-enhancement activities will be strengthened so as to stimulate cooperation with Italian and international technical and scientific museums, in view also of the fact that the Institute hosts one of the most prominent collection of typhlology instruments in Europe. Future cooperation with national and international institutes The key target of the overall action carried out by the Louis Braille Museum at the Institute for the Blind in Milan is, on the one hand, to reconstruct the historical memory of and role played by the Institute within the economic and social system of the city by highlighting and facilitating the fruition of its archival, bibliographic and photographic collections and, on the other hand, to network and share accumulated knowledge with similar collections in Italy and abroad. It is therefore necessary to integrate catalogue- and inventory-making processes in a wider project aimed at gradually making the Institutes documentary patrimony available to the public. This project foresees the following action: Enhance access to information by compiling comprehensive catalogues of the books by means of specific programmes Make online info more readily available through the publication of the catalogues on the Internet though the SBN system Develop online promotional action (creation of CDs, website, virtual tour of the Institute to understand the way students live, work and study, etc.)

Develop cooperation with research institutes and university structures to facilitate the cultural rediscovery of an institute that is one of the oldest in Milan and one of the most loved

Promote the publication of book series dedicated to essays and studies on the history of pedagogy, medicine and/or specialised library science works. Promote studies, conferences and research in the area of library and information science.

We are proud to have taken part in this important international conference, which will stimulate the establishment of a solid network of scientific and methodological exchange in the area of museum management between organisations whose mission is to conserve and safeguard the historical and artistic heritage of institutions that starting from the 18 th century have been committed to preventing and curing visual impairment.

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