AUGUST 2008 – Cinema Pellegrini in Luino (VA), Italy. Photo © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
Lago Maggiore is split between Switzerland and Italy. While the entire region is influenced by the Italian culture and lifestyle, the Swiss part has certainly also a touch of Swiss culture. So, it’s interesting to discover what happens when you cross the border between Switzerland and Italy.
One morning we explored the lake by ferry. Our first destination was Luino with its historic center and large weekly market. We strolled through the streets and discovered the (remains of the) Cinema Pellegrini in the Via Pellegrini: A rusty steel fence, a badly damaged neon sign, plants overgrowing the steps. One starts to wonder why this has happened, and how it might look inside?
Let’s tackle the second question first. I found this video by Urbex in Music who went into the building (without violating any laws, as is stated in the notes.) This video is a stunning document and a time capsule for sure.
The remaining question is: why? What happened to this cinema that apparently once was the cultural center of the town? This story on luinonotizie.it explains it (in Italian.) Long story short: Completed in 1935, the hall was used for all kinds of public activities, from shows and concerts, parish amateur dramatics, to meetings and conferences. There also was a regular cinema season, albeit with ‘mediocre programs’. The hall was closed in the 1950s. After years of closure, an investor took the opportunity, refurbished the building and interior and re-opened as a full-fledged cinema with quality programs and a smaller meeting space. There was some success but not enough to make the cinema survive. It closed in the 1970s.
As the property is not owned by the municipality, it has no direct influence in its future. There were plans for re-opening the cultural center, but apparently these have, at the time of writing, not been executed.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date & Time | 27-AUG-2008, 13:01 |
| Location | Luino, Lago Maggiore, Italy |
| Camera | Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II |
| Lens | Canon EF 24-70 mm 2.8L USM |
| ISO | 400 |
| Exposure | 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 |
| Digital Image Source Format | Canon Camera RAW (CR2) |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4816 x 3297 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
Zanzig.com Photo Hub 