20th-21st Century Reinvention
Preservation, Fondazione Corippo, and the Albergo Diffuso
Monument protection, the 1975 foundation, cultural labs, and the 2022 Albergo Diffuso project keep Corippo inhabited, funding restoration while inviting guests to live alongside the remaining residents.
Key moments
- 1975
Fondazione Corippo 1975 forms after heritage designation.
- 2017
Laboratorio dei Gesti Antichi launches to teach ancestral gestures.
- 2022
Albergo Diffuso opens with ten rooms honoring former inhabitants.
From Monument to Foundation
Once Corippo was listed as a national monument, residents realized protection alone would not prevent abandonment. Fondazione Corippo 1975 coordinates fundraising, restoration planning, and partnerships with architecture schools to keep the settlement viable.
Laboratories of Living Heritage
The Laboratorio dei Gesti Antichi near the Genardini house stages demonstrations of scything, wool processing, and terrace maintenance, translating archival research into muscle memory. Verzasca Foto exhibitions add another layer, sharing private archives collected from the diaspora.
Albergo Diffuso as Adaptive Reuse
Investments topping CHF 4 million converted five historic houses into ten guest rooms, each named after former inhabitants like Angiolina or Martino. The osteria now serves as reception and dining room, while alleys function as hotel corridors.
Slow tourism keeps lights on year-round, attracting new residents such as the hotel managers and Ernesto, the first child in decades. The model ensures houses remain lived in rather than staged as museum sets.
“The goal is not a resort, but a village where guests and locals share the same stones.”
— Fondazione Corippo 1975
Stay in Corippo
Discover carefully restored traditional houses, each offering a unique window into Corippo's timeless charm
