Possible utopia

TO SAVE A TOWN, A FORMER BUSINESSMAN HAS TRANSFORMED A FARMHOUSE FROM THE 13TH CENTURY INTO A HOME-MUSEUM.

The town of Ronco is somewhat real, somewhat imaginary. It covers an area of a few square kilometers inside the municipality of Gussago, in the countryside near Brescia. In recent years it has become a reference point for young artists, thanks to the contemporary art museum Go! Ronco Arte. The inventor of this territory is Ettore Marchina. Formerly a businessman, in 2006 he sold his company to focus on contemporary art. His house at Ronco is a luminous old farmhouse created inside a monastery dating back to the 13th century. After buying it at auction, Marchina went to live there in 2003. «I was born here, in the courtyard out front, in a rural structure where 72 people lived at the time, with just one bathroom», he recalls. «Living here is a way of getting back to my roots: I love this place». The renovation has conserved all the charm of the farmhouse intact, while adding sustainable technologies like solar and geothermal systems for complete energy autonomy. The interiors have been done by his wife Giuseppina Bonfadelli, mixing design pieces with vintage items. The protagonists are the 700 works of art in the private collection of Marchina: every room is packed with paintings, sculptures and objects. Outstanding pieces include two anthropomorphic sculptures by Mirko Bedussi. «Every work represents a memory, a particular moment, a friendship». In 2010 Marchina expanded the place, making part of it into the museum Go! Ronco Arte, including works donated by collectors and supporters of the project. He runs the museum himself: «To enter, just ring the bell». Outside a sign sets the tone: “Hours: depending on the mood of the curator”.