Volandia
| Company type | Museum |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aeronautics, Transport, Automotive |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Vizzola Ticino , Italy |
Area served | Europe |
| Products | Aircraft and transport exhibits, including aviation, automotive, and space collections |
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Template:Infobox museum Volandia – Park and Flight Museum ranks as Italy’s largest aeronautical museum and is among the most extensive in Europe. The institution showcases a collection exceeding 100 aircraft. It occupies approximately 60,000 m2 (645,000 sq ft), with around 20,000 m2 (215,000 sq ft) dedicated to indoor exhibition space.[1][2] Established in 2010, the museum followed a decade-long development process.[3]
Situated directly next to Milan-Malpensa Airport, the museum occupies the historic premises of the Caproni Vizzola factory, which dates back to 1913.[4]
Since its inauguration in 2010, Volandia has expanded its holdings to include notable collections such as the Luciano Piazzai Modeling Collection and the Flaminio Bertoni Museum. It also features the Gruppo Bertone Collection, which comprises some of the most iconic vehicles crafted by the Turin-based coachbuilder.
The entire facility is located within the boundaries of Ticino Park.
History
On November 11, 2006, during a conference at Castello Visconti in San Vito, Somma Lombardo, plans were unveiled for establishing a major aeronautical museum at the former Officine Caproni site in Vizzola Ticino (VA). The initiative aimed to narrate the aeronautical heritage of Lombardy’s industrial players such as Caproni, SIAI-Marchetti from Sesto Calende, Aermacchi, Agusta, and Piero Magni, along with the broader history of the Varese province. The location selected was conveniently near Milan-Malpensa airport and offered straightforward access from Milan. The project gained support from various local political figures including Marco Reguzzoni, president of Varese province; Alberoni, President of Lombardy’s Regional Council; several mayors; and leaders from the aerospace sector like Carmelo Cosentino (CEO of Alenia Aermacchi) and Giuseppe Orsi (CEO of Agusta Westland), as well as Giuseppe Leoni, president of the Aero Club of Italy, and representatives from the Italian Air Force.
The Fondazione Museo dell'Aeronautica was created with Reguzzoni as president. The foundation acquired the former Officine Caproni property from AgustaWestland at a favorable price, encompassing warehouses and office buildings. Implementation was supported by commitments from Lombardy Region, Varese province, and municipalities including Cardano al Campo, Ferno, Lonate Pozzolo, Gallarate, Samarate, Somma Lombardo, Varese, and Vizzola Ticino. A funding pool of €19 million was allocated for phased restoration work on structures, exhibition fit-outs, and acquisitions.
The Volandia Park and Museum officially opened its doors on May 8, 2010. At launch, it featured a collection exceeding thirty aircraft alongside approximately one thousand models on display. In 2012, after acquiring additional exhibits including an American twin-engine Douglas DC-3, a new 4,000 m2 hall dedicated to commercial aviation was inaugurated. This particular Douglas DC-3 is unique in Italy as the only operational example exhibited.
Starting in 2018, Volandia incorporated the Gruppo Bertone Collection—a compilation of seventy-six automobiles featuring significant models such as the Lamborghini Miura, Espada, and Countach. Other notable cars include a road-going Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo Giulia SS and Giulia Sprint variants, a Montreal model, plus numerous prototypes designed at Stile Bertone. These vehicles complement artistic works and automotive designs by Flaminio Bertoni, another prominent Italian designer and artist.
On April 8, 2017, in an event attended by former footballers Claudio Gentile and Pietro Vierchowod, Volandia inaugurated its presidential Douglas DC-9. This aircraft transported various Heads of State including President Sandro Pertini and Pope John Paul II. It is also a twin of the plane that brought home the Italian national football team after their victorious triumph at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In 2018, the museum received a donation of MD-80 I-SMEL—the first MD-80 operated by Meridiana.
To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the first Moon landing in 2019, Volandia launched a new Astronomy and Space pavilion with astronaut Paolo Nespoli participating in the ceremony. During that year’s "Linate Air Show," Volandia also exhibited a fully restored Yakovlev Yak-40.
On January 25, 2020, a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter arrived at Volandia from Berlin’s Luftwaffenmuseum. Its official unveiling took place on February 8, 2020. Additionally, since July 4, 2020, Volandia has housed the second prototype of the Aermacchi M-346 trainer aircraft. Prior to public display, this aircraft remained within Volandia’s workshop for assembly completion.
Collections
The museum was originally established to highlight the history of global aviation, with a special focus on the Italian companies that have significantly contributed to the development of flight, such as Caproni, Agusta, Aermacchi, and SIAI-Marchetti, all headquartered in the Varese province. Following the integration of the Bertoni and Bertone collections, which emphasize automobiles, along with the Ogliari collection centered primarily on rail and road transportation, the museum has broadened its scope to encompass the entire spectrum of transport.
Aircraft heritage
Volandia’s aviation collection covers a comprehensive range of subjects related to both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, spanning commercial and military sectors. The helicopter exhibits, in particular, are notable for their size and significance.
Among the museum’s prized holdings are some of Italy’s most iconic aircraft. These include the pioneering Caproni Ca.1, recognized as the first plane to take off from Malpensa’s moorland. The Caproni Ca.18 represents an important phase in Italy’s air fleet development as the first domestically designed aircraft to fully equip a national squadron. The Caproni Ca.113 stands out as one of the most renowned aerobatic planes from the interwar period. The jet age is represented by models such as the Fiat G.91, notable for being the first Italian jet used by the National Acrobatic Patrol, alongside the AMX Ghibli, trainers like the MB.326 and MB.339, and three prototypes of the SIAI-Marchetti S.211. The collection also features numerous aircraft once operated by foreign air forces, including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, North American F-86 Sabre, BAC Jet Provost, and de Havilland Vampire.
Commercial aviation history is illustrated through exhibits such as the Douglas DC-3 Dakota, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, and Fokker 27, each representing highly successful aircraft in their respective periods. Of particular historical importance is the Douglas DC-9 once operated by the Italian Presidency. This aircraft served prominent figures including President Sandro Pertini, Pope John Paul II, and various heads of state and government at the 31st Wing of the Italian Air Force. It also transported the coffin of Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna from Bologna to Paris after his fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The museum’s rotary-wing section houses both Italian and international helicopters, with a particular emphasis on models from Agusta. Noteworthy examples include the AB.47 G3B1, which served with the Arma dei Carabinieri between 1966 and 1977; the AgustaWestland AW109 A-II, which enhanced night operation capabilities for the Guardia di Finanza; as well as the AgustaWestland AW139, and both the AB.204 and AB.206-A1. A dedicated exhibit is reserved for the innovative AgustaWestland AW609 convertiplane, engineered to combine the operational flexibility of helicopters with the advantages typical of fixed-wing aircraft.
Bertone Collection
Acquired by the Italian Historical Automotoclub in 2015, the Bertone Collection has been housed since 2018 within the pavilion named Volanda. This assemblage features 76 automobiles, alongside a motorcycle and a bicycle, all crafted by the Turin-based studio Bertone and its collaborators. Highlights include a 1967 Lamborghini Miura S, a 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia SS, and the Lancia Stratos HF, renowned for its remarkable string of racing triumphs. The collection also contains notable prototypes such as the BMW Birusa, Porsche Karisma, Ferrari 308 GT4 Rainbow, Aston Martin Rapid Jet, two Jaguar PU99 models, and the Bertone Birusa.
Bertoni Museum
The Flaminio Bertoni Museum showcases a significant portion of the creative output and intellectual legacy of the Varese-born designer, regarded as one of the most influential automotive stylists in history. Besides featuring Bertoni’s three iconic vehicles—the 1934 Citroën Traction Avant, 1948 2CV, and 1955 DS—the museum also presents an extensive collection of his sculptures and design sketches.
Piazzai Collection
The Piazzai Collection comprises over 1,200 scale models that chronicle the evolution of global aviation, spanning from early pioneering flights to contemporary aircraft designs.
Pavilions
- Astronomy and Space Pavilion: this section illustrates the progression of space exploration starting with Galileo’s lunar observations in 1609 through to modern international space missions. It includes a planetarium equipped with an advanced projector and FullDome video capabilities. Exhibits feature 1:10 scale models of the US Saturno V rocket and the Soyuz launcher, a vehicle still actively used for transporting supplies and crew to the International Space Station. Additionally, there are 30 models at a 1:114 scale representing seven decades of space launches.
- The forms of flight: an exhibit showcasing different flight modalities such as gliding, fixed-wing, and rotary-wing aircraft. The display highlights various devices and airplanes produced by aeronautical industries in Varese and Lombardy.
- The first flight to Malpensa: this area hosts the Caproni Ca.1 alongside an installation recreating the environment of its inaugural—and sole—flight from the Caproni factory.
- Officina Caproni: a reconstruction of the workshop belonging to Italy’s earliest aeronautical company founded in the early 1900s.
- Fixed wing: a chronological and thematic exhibition tracing aircraft development from early propeller planes to modern jets, including balloon flights and pioneering achievements with the Bleriot XI and Gabardini Seaplane.
- Rotating wing: this section emphasizes helicopters’ roles in both civil and military aviation, featuring everything from small Autogyros to large Army and Navy helicopters.
- Outdoor play area
- Indoor play area
- Piazzai area
- Drones area: managed by the GULLP association, this space combines an exhibition zone with an active "LAB" focused on research, design, and construction of UAVs/Drones as well as projects related to aviation technology advancements.
- The future of flight: dedicated pavilion narrating the history of AgustaWestland and showcasing the AW609 convertiplane.
- Ogliari museum
- Simulators area: a flight simulation zone equipped with ten simulators—four designed for children under 12 years old and six for visitors over 12—that offer immersive experiences piloting renowned aircraft such as the MB.339 military trainer and AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter.
See also
References
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External links
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