The Turin International was a world's fair held in Turin in 1911[1] titled Esposizione internazionale dell'industria e del lavoro. It was opened by King Victor Emmanuel III on April 29, 1911, and lasted until November 19, 1911. It received 7,409,145 visits and covered 247 acres.[2][3]
The fair opened on 29 April,[4] was held just nine years after an earlier Turin fair which had focused on the decorative arts, and at the same time as another Italian fair in Rome, also with an arts focus. This fair deliberately distinguished itself by focusing on industry and labour.[4]
The fair was organized together with other national exhibitions in Rome and Florence, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Unification of Italy. It was held in the Parco del Valentino (as were the three previous Turin fairs in 1884, 1885 and 1902 and the subsequent 1924 Turin fair).[4]
The main designers of the Fair were: Pietro Fenoglio,[5] Giacomo Saldadori di Wiesenhof,[6] and Stefano Molli.[7] Only the Stefano Molli's archive[8] (preserved by Fondazione Marazza in Borgomanero) has been identified and contains around 600 architectural documents regarding the Turin 1911 Fair.[9]
A total of 3,500 workers were employed to construct the exhibition area. Several pavilions were built, covering an area of approximately 350,000 square metres. More than 7 million people visited the fair.
There were many events connected to the exhibition, including exhibitions, displays and competitions, as well as demonstrations of new electrical and mechanical equipment.
Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff was performed on the opening night (29 April) at the Teatro Regio. Between April and May, numerous concerts were also held, including five by the Teatro Regio Orchestra, conducted by the renowned Arturo Toscanini.[20] Other renowned conductors performed during the exhibition too, including Robert Kajanus, Tullio Serafin and Willem Mengelberg. The Viennese composer Gustav Mahler was also scheduled to perform in October, but he died in May of that year.
Important congresses and conferences were held during those months, including the 9th Congress of Industrialists and Merchants, the National Congress of Italian Builders, and the Interparliamentary Peace Congress. Numerous sporting competitions were also held as part of the event.
A film competition was launched and divided into three categories: artistic, scientific and educational. Films that had not been released were submitted for this competition, which took place inside the Egyptian Pavilion and was one of its main attraction. First prize in the artistic category was awarded to Nozze d'oro, directed by Luigi Maggi and produced by Ambrosio Film; second prize went to Il povero di Assisi, directed by Enrico Guazzoni and produced by Cines. Among the scientific films, first prize went to La vita delle farfalle, also produced by Ambrosio and directed by Roberto Omegna with the collaboration of Guido Gozzano. Also awarded in the educational section were: Il tamburino sardo by Cines and L'Odissea by Giuseppe de Liguoro, produced by Milano Films.
Between 4th and 10th June took place the 'Rome-Turin Aviation Competition'. The winner received a prize of two hundred and fifty thousand lire, a considerable sum at the time.
Views of the Exposition
Pavilion of the Ottoman Empire
Pavillon of Argentina
Pavillon of Uruguay
Pavillon of Germany
Pavillon of Belgium
Pavillon of Brazil
Pavillon of Hungary
Pavillons of del Siam and Serbia
Pavillon of Great Britain
Pavillon of the city of Paris
Pavillon of Russia
Pavillon of France
Pavillon of the United States
Pavillon of Japan
See also
Images from over 200 pages from the official guide to the fair [4]
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