- Postcard showing the Morzano School
Letter from pupils and “the littlies” at the school to Countess Sofia di Bricherasio, Morzano, May 4th, 1910
In 1908, in Morzano di Roppolo, in the province of Biella, Eleonora Massel di Caresana—Teresa’s sister and Emanuele and Sofia’s aunt—opened a “school and nursery” on land she owned for “male and female pupils of any means,” in memory of her nephew who had died in 1904.
Conceived as a school and nursery for the community, in 1914 Sofia transformed it into a moral institution, becoming its “referent for the mission and purposes of the Initiative.”
Cosso Foundation Archives, Castello di Miradolo Collection
- Itemized bills of expenses and fees of the engineer Antonio Barchetta for the feasibility study of a railroad from Airasca to Cavallermaggiore, February 10th, 1867
Antonio Barchetta was a leading name in the introduction and expansion of the railways in Piedmont. His projects were part of the great infrastructure drive sweeping Italy and Piedmont in the second half of the 1800s, when efforts were made to expand the main railway network and connect smaller towns, promote agriculture, and support the growth of industrialization. His technical reports analyzed the financial feasibility and local benefits of these railroad connections.
The 35km Airasca–Cavallermaggiore railroad was proposed in this context at the end of the 1800s as a “feasible railroad.” The Cacherano di Bricherasio family was at the forefront in promoting such feasibility studies, with a view to supporting local growth.
The 15km Moretta–Cavallermaggiore section was opened on May 17th, 1886. The rest of the railroad to Airasca, connecting Murello, Villanova Solaro, Vigone, and other farming communities was completed progressively in the following years.
Ultimately, the railway line would be discontinued, shut-down in two stages. The Moretta–Cavallermaggiore section closed in 1959 while the Airasca–Moretta section continued to operate until 1986. It formed part of the Moretta–Alessandria railway line that connected the Pinerolo and Saluzzo districts with the Langhe and Monferrato areas.
Cosso Foundation Archives, Castello di Miradolo Collection
- Demonstrative drawing of the Miradolo equestrian track, undated, blueprint, 31x42cm
Blueprint of the site plan, with the features of the equestrian track reported at the bottom. The proposed track would never be built.
Cosso Foundation Archives, Castello di Miradolo Collection
- Site plan illustrating the area earmarked for the new equestrian track, undated (1895–1896), pencil and India ink on glossy paper, 95 x 70cm, reproduction
Site plan based on land registry maps illustrating the course of the track, the various sections, and the areas adjacent to the properties owned by Fulvio Massel di Caresana to be joined for the creation of the private equestrian track.
Cosso Foundation Archives, Castello di Miradolo Collection
- Drawings and sketches of Palazzo Bricherasio in Via Lagrange, Turin, town house of the Cacherano di Bricherasio family, by architect Annibale Rigotti
Vintage postcards shows the interiors of the building, early 20th century
Cosso Foundation Archives, Castello di Miradolo Collection
- Site plan illustrating an “Equestrian track on the property of Massel di Carezzana,” September 28th, 1896, blueprint, 99x66cm, reproduction
Site plan based on land registry maps, on a 1:1000 scale, illustrating a private equestrian track that was ultimately never built.
That same year an equestrian track was built in Baudenasca (Turin), just a few kilometers aways from Miradolo.
Cosso Foundation Archives, Castello di Miradolo Collection