“La fabbrica del Duomo”, the recovered short film by Dino Risi
Now available with the Milano Duomo Card
The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano’s Archive is making a very rare and precious cinematic experience available to all supporters of the Cathedral and its restoration, holders of the Milano Duomo Card: the extraordinary short film La fabbrica del Duomo by Dino Risi, made by the great director in 1949.
A piece of cinema history, never before accessible to the public, which takes us back to Milan immediately after the war, to discover the secrets of the Fabbrica and the atmosphere reminiscent of a bygone city, following the passage of the marble from the precipitous Candoglia Quarry, along the Navigli canal network to the foggy Darsena, where the housewives wash their clothes, finally arriving at the Cathedral where stonemasons and workers climb the scaffolding.
The video is available online on the official website duomomilano.it, in the section dedicated to holders of the Milano Duomo Card, accessible with a reserved code issued after purchase.
The card, available in various types, brings forward the visiting experience (with tickets and itineraries for the Duomo, Rooftops, Archaeological Area, and unlimited access to the Duomo Museum for one year, useable upon reopening) thanks to the in-depth multimedia content that explores all the Cathedral’s treasures and that follows the various restoration work. Furthermore, there is the possibility of choosing a free gift from the Duomo’s official collection, also available on the new e-commerce platform duomoshop.com since March.
The short film by Dino Risi dedicated to the Fabbrica del Duomo is a precious pearl that today returns to light thanks to the collaboration with the CSC Foundation – The National Film Archive for Industrial Film, where the original copy was stored, together with the films of Risi’s own shorts found in the Archive just a few years ago.
BUY OR GIVE THE MILANO DUOMO CARD FROM DUOMOMILANO.IT IN SUPPORT OF THE CATHEDRAL’S RESTORATION
THE STORY OF RISI’S FILM, FINALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC TODAY
In 2012, some unpublished videos were found in the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo’s Archive. The collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, which was entrusted with restoring the films, led to the discovery of an exceptional film, shot in 1949, regarding the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo. The short film recounts in detail the work of the organisation, revealing in a way never seen before the point of view of those who have taken care of the Duomo’s construction and safeguarding for centuries. From the offices that still overlook the large stained-glass windows of the apse, the story moves to the origins of the Duomo, where generations of workers have extracted the magnificent pink and white marble that makes the Milanese Cathedral a unique masterpiece throughout the world.
To pay homage to Dino Risi’s rediscovered film La Fabbrica del Duomo, on Friday, 26 March at 6.30pm, the Veneranda Fabbrica is organising a webinar dedicated to the Duomo and cinema: Ciak si gira! Il Duomo di Milano nella narrazione cinematografica.
The event will be held on Zoom and participation is free.
With thanks to
