La difficile conservazione del moderno: la funicolare e la monorotaia di “Italia ’61”

The complex built on the occasion of the International Exhibition of "Italia '61" was characterized by the presence of infrastructures, such as the monorail, the cableway and the riverboats, useful to guarantee visitors easy fruition of the whole Exhibition. After the end of the celebrations, within a few years, the infrastructures and ephemeral buildings were largely demolished based on economic evaluations, without considering their cultural value. The cableway, as well as the monorail, were an integral part of the landscape of Italia '61. Unfortunately, after falling into disuse they were partially dismantled causing both a profound alteration of the general plan drawn up for the Exposition and the loss of significant evidence of cultural and technological development. Therefore, it would be necessary to promote compatible re-use of the still existing assets to contribute not only to understanding and appreciating their historical and cultural value but also to preserve the memory of a significant past event.