The Bianconi epic. From Caglio to Ireland, he invented the stagecoach.

Rennet (Como)

"I owe a lot to Caglio, and ultimately to Carlo Bianconi. When they asked me to illustrate his story to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his death, I immediately accepted." Thus was born the exhibition "From Caglio with Transport" drawings by Paolo Bombonato, which opens Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Civic Hall of the town hall.

"For this exhibition," he says, "I didn't do much; I just gave what I know how to do: listen and draw." Until August 17th, every day from 10:30 am to 12 pm and from 5 pm to 6:30 pm, with free admission, some previously unpublished drawings will be on display. Through Bombonato's distinctive and captivating style, they retrace the story of Bianconi, inventor of the first public stagecoach service in Ireland, where he emigrated in the early 19th century, taking the name Bryan Cooney. Specifically, to Clonnel, his adopted home, where he was so well-regarded that he was appointed mayor. But not only that: the public transportation revolution he ushered in was so effective in improving the quality of life that he was elected a national hero of Ireland. In Caglio, in addition to a street named after him, his home survives, a custodian of part of his history.

The choice of Bombonato to mark the anniversary of Bianconi's death is no coincidence: "For 35 years," he says, "Caglio has been a place close to my heart, and for years I have frequented and walked the street dedicated to him." The panels on display will take visitors on a journey through Bianconi's life and his extraordinary insights. Architect, designer, and highly original watercolorist, Paolo Bombonato will also exhibit another important part of his oeuvre: "Short Stories of Fantastic Commuters," hundreds of portraits of unsuspecting travelers taken during years of train commuting, stored in dozens of notebooks. People captured in the repetitiveness of daily life, each with their own habits and individuality.

Paola Pioppi