Lombardia nord-ovest 1/2013 - VARESE SPECIALE MUSEI

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VARESE MUSEI IN RETE | CASE HISTORY

The Alfredo Binda museum The Varese area has always held a deep-seated passion for cycling, and is proud to call itself the home of many champion cyclists. One of these champions was Alfredo Binda, to whom a museum in his home town of Cittiglio was dedicated in 1986. The museum was established at the behest of the municipality in order to celebrate the athlete and his achievements. The structure houses a series of relics and memorabilia from his cycling career. And the material, donated by his family, goes far beyond telling the story of the athlete's life alone. The exhibits include both the rainbow jersey and those of the Italian championships, as well as the cyclist's "equipment", including bicycle seats, glasses and shoes. Other noteworthy exhibits include the two Legnano bicycles with which Binda triumphed at the World Championships of 1930 and 1932. In addition to the memorabilia, the itinerary also features various documents and newspaper articles that allow visitors to reconstruct an entire era: a page of cycling history that, in many ways, is now far removed from our current perception of the sport. The museum features numerous articles and front pages from the Gazzetta dello Sport, along with a collection of photographs depicting some of the most exciting moments of Binda's career, including his victories at three World Championships and five triumphs at the Giro d'Italia. Finally, the museum also includes exhibits on the last twenty years of Binda's career, when he served as coach for the Italian national cycling team. The museum is now preparing for a new phase, as it now enjoys an even more welcoming space inside the Cittiglio train station. This move, which was made possible by an Agreement between City Council and the Northern Railway, will give greater visibility to the museum's exhibits: true "gems" for cycling enthusiasts, who are drawn to this location, at just a few steps from Lake Maggiore, by the possibility of getting up close and personal with the epic story of the first great champion in the history of cycling.

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indirizzo / address piazzale Alfredo Binda Cittiglio www.comune.cittiglio.va.it/binda biblioteca@comune.cittiglio.va.it

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