Torino 1884. “In giro per l’Esposizione”: il viaggio d’istruzione degli allievi ingegneri della Regia Scuola d’Applicazione per gli Ingegneri di Bologna

Between June and July 1884, 32 engineering students at the Regia Scuola di Applicazione di Bologna, together with three professors, took the annual trip to Milan, Arona, Turin, Genoa and La Spezia. While in Turin, they had the chance to visit the Esposizione Generale Italiana. A specific bibliography, which included the official catalogue and the exhibition magazine, accompanied their visit. In more than one occasion, the group was guided by experts in this field. Particular attention was paid to the medieval quarter and castle (the complex had just been inaugurated on a project by Alfredo d’Andrade). The lecture halls of the nearby Castle of Valentino, seat of the Regia Scuola di Applicazione per gli Ingegneri di Torino, hosted the Bolognese colleagues who, guided by professor Giovanni Curioni, had the chance to assist at test methods for resistance of materials (using the machine recently patented by Cu - rioni himself). The young Bolognese students ended their tour of the town visiting the Superga rack railway, the Mosca bridge on the Dora river and they also had an “exceptional” tour, guided by Alessandro Antonelli himself, to the Mole Antonel - liana, which was still being completed. In this building site, the structural potential of the traditional construction techniques had been taken to an extreme level by the designer from Novara, which certainly excited enthusiastic curiosity in the young students.to the Mole Antonelliana, which was still being completed. In this building site, the structural potential of the traditional construction techniques had been taken to an extreme level by the designer from Novara, which certainly excited enthusiastic curiosity in the young students.