The history of the Foundation

Like pages of a book we leaf through colorful frames of these first 15 years of the Cosso Foundation in our mind; fragments, like a puzzle, have found their place in this time.
An invisible thread has linked and continues to bind these fragments: the desire to be “present” for a community, for a territory.
The path taken has outlined our identity: multidisciplinarity.
In a time of standards and labels we have tried to keep our eyes open, our minds attentive and our hearts listening.

As part of the “Invito al Parco. Il Camelieto” project, over 130 cultivars of camellias finds home in the park, propagated from ancient specimens belonging to two of the oldest and most valuable camellia collections in Italy. In 2020, a group of experts from the University of Turin – DISAFA, with the collaboration of the Italian Camellia Society, started the study and characterization of the young specimens introduced to Miradolo and those already existing.

Games, insights, spread throughout the exhibition space, become the tool for approaching the works in a personal and direct way and represent the spaces and themes of the laboratories and educational activities proposed.

Even today the Park presents specimens of notable beauty and historical and botanical importance: its arboreal heritage is represented by over 1700 trees of different sizes and qualities, of notable historical-botanical importance

Large scale works and commitment were carried out with a passion from 2008 in 5 different areas, art, music, nature, education and social commitment.

Our love of culture, art and nature is demonstrated by our original ideas which are dedicated to the public, schools and families in order to build together a more inclusive society which is more aware of differences, fragility and beauty.

In 2017 the Cosso Foundation created the Invitation to the Park project to celebrate the first 10 years looking after and restoring the magnificent nineteenth-century garden. It is the story of the rebirth of one of the most beautiful landscaped parks in Piedmont, which has finally gone back to its former glory.

The Ulysses project is about man, his real or imaginary journeys, his limits, his fears and his discoveries. Research and curiosity, willingness and ambition, quality of work and new professionalism. Culture is at the heart of a profound human and social reflection about fundamental values. Ulysses is both training and education on the go for secondary school students and was created together with the Avant-dernière pensée project. 

A unique story and partnership was created between the Cosso Foundation and a place of local greatness which is full of both historical flavours and intoxicating smells. Miradolo Castle houses the sweet and savoury delights of the Antica Pasticceria Castino cake shop and bar.

The first national exhibition dedicated solely to Orsola Maddalena Caccia was honoured with the Adesione del Presidente della Repubblica award (Adhesion of the President of the Republic) The exhibition was created to put the long forgotten, delicate figure of the nun painter, who was Moncalvo’s daughter, into the spotlight.

The Avant-dernière pensée project which came from an idea by Roberto Galimberti, has found its research and experimental centre in Miradolo Castle. It is made up of an effervescent and diverse group of musicians and technicians and creates previously unseen installations which create new links between different artistic disciplines.

Going back over the history of the place and to enhance it through art, the first exhibition at the Castle was dedicated to the famous Biellese landscape painter Lorenzo Delleani, and his students, among which there was also Sofia di Bricherasio, the last owner of Miradolo castle and heir from an important Piedmont family.

The Delleani and his pupils exhibition

An important renovation project was carried out on the old Miradolo abode and its Park, both of which were left abandoned and forgotten from the 1990s to 2007. Renovation work was necessary to preserve and give back an important resource to the territory. Work on the Castle and the restoration of the Park were managed entirely by the Cosso Foundation.