The Museum of Bodio Lomnago
The museum will rise in Bodio Lomnago, on the shores of Lake Varese, letting you step into the past: virtually, through the immersive room; physically, through the display of archaeological finds recovered from the lakebed; and finally by entering a Bronze Age hut, reconstructed from the archaeological evidence brought up by the underwater excavations of the Bodio Centrale pile-dwelling village.
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Map → Why Bodio Lomnago
The lakes around Varese hold 13 pile-dwelling sites, spread across Lake Varese, Lake Monate and Lake Comabbio. Three of them — Isolino Virginia (a small island), Bodio Centrale and the Sabbione — are inscribed on the UNESCO transnational serial site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps”. Aware of the importance of its own pile-dwelling site, the Municipality of Bodio Lomnago seized the chance to enhance its cultural heritage through the NRRP M1C3 I 2.1 funds made available by the European Union.
THE THREE PROJECT PHASES
Prime location
Overlooking the lakeside cycle path, used by 150,000 people every year, and a short walk from the Bodio Lomnago lido.
A multi-purpose hub
Archaeological displays, educational workshops, immersive projections, talks and events. A chance for schools to enjoy all-round cultural and educational experiences.
A gateway between past and present
The museum will offer a wealth of cultural and sensory experiences: from ancient finds raised from the bed of Lake Varese to the latest technologies in projection, video generation and artificial intelligence.
Immersive room
Inside the museum, a 150 m² immersive room fitted with advanced technology projects all-round video across its walls, drawing visitors into captivating experiences through striking aerial and underwater footage, filmed together with the archaeologists who carried out the research at the UNESCO site of Bodio Centrale and nearby.
A CAPTIVATING EXPERIENCE
Let yourself be carried away
into the lakebeds, where history has preserved for us the remains of an ancestral culture
Experience the depths
Witness the UNESCO sites through never-before-seen footage, with the very eyes of the archaeologists who brought them to light
Technology
A blend of technological solutions, developed by a dedicated team, will make it possible to host immersive projection events all year round.
The project in numbers
fully funded by the European Union through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, designed to relaunch the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
€2.08 million
fully funded by the European Union65
Businesses, most of them based in the local areaA valuable impact on the local area
Economic sustainability
The museum is launched with a business plan designed to make it as self-sustaining as possible.
Tourism and synergies
NeoBodio aims to be the centrepiece of a renewed effort to promote the local area, encouraging tourism focused on discovering its culture and nature.
Initiatives
Alongside building the museum, the NRRP-funded project also brings cultural activities to the area: school workshops, educational talks and excursions to discover the area’s natural beauty and its history.
SAVE THE DATE
NeoBodio will open in in Bodio Lomnago.
Get to the heart of the project.
THE STAGES OF THE WORK →Prehistory Cultural District
We want to shape a new way of experiencing the area’s attractions, building a clear and compelling story that guides visitors through images and films that best capture what happened here over millions of years.
Find out more →
Relive a breathtaking journey back in time, across three geological eras
NeoBodio stands at the heart of a cultural district of extraordinary variety, rich in remains from the most distant ages.
Centrally placed between Mornago and Besano, it is the starting point of a breathtaking experience that brings together every cultural opportunity the Province of Varese has to offer.
DISCOVER THE DISTRICT →
At the heart of the Province of Varese, rich in beauty and charm
The museum and the works tied to the project set out to spark a virtuous, sustainable tourism spin-off, centred on the cultural and natural appeal this province has to offer.
Discover the Province of Varese and its treasures
The 4 UNESCO sites
Varese is the Italian province with the most UNESCO sites — and Italy holds more of them than any other country in the world.
The 7 lakes of the Varese area
Here lies the densest cluster of lakes in Italy, each with its own character — for natural richness, culture, bathing or tourism.
Mountains, caves and waterfalls
The sweeping views from the Pizzoni di Laveno, the enchanting caves of Valganna, the spectacular waterfalls of Ferrera and the evocative trails of the Cadorna Line. Varese offers endless opportunities to explore and discover.
Beneath the lakes of the Varese area
Take a breath…
Begin a journey into the unknown lakebeds, where ancient remains still lie today, wrapped in mystery.
The Province of Varese is home to 13 underwater pile-dwelling archaeological sites spread across Lake Varese, Lake Monate and Lake Comabbio
Map of the archaeological sites →