Cap. 8 - “ANTONIO FACCANONI” KINDERGARTEN (1910-1912)
It is near the parish church. The kindergarten has only kept the Liberty facade. The interior has been completely transformed to meet the needs of a modern kindergarten.
According to the book “Faccanoni” by Giorgi, Antonio Faccanoni, uncle of Giuseppe, Luigi, and Pietro Faccanoni, was born in Sarnico in 1841 into a family of entrepreneurs. He married Rosa Gavarone and remained a window at only 55. With his children dependent on him, he had to reorganize his life, but he continued to work. On 21st July 1907, he received the Knight’s Cross of the Crown of Italy. He died in Sarnico, in his home, on 25th January 1917 and is buried in the Sarnico cemetery. There is a fine bronze medallion by the sculptor Siccardi on his tomb. A stone with his marble bust, by the Milanese sculptor Pirovano, stands in the garden of the kindergarten. Sarnico has also named a road after him (part of the former Vie dei Torcoli).
He had a real passion for children and thus, with the help of the Congregation of Charity, the parish priest, and the municipality, he founded in Sarnico the kindergarten that still bears his name.
The architectural part was designed by his architect friend Giuseppe Sommaruga. Building began in 1910 and the work was contracted (as can also be seen in “Giuseppe Sommaruga” by Bairati and Riva) to the Cooperative Costruttori of Costa Volpino for the sum of 80,000 Lira. The building was not completed until 1912. Today it is still a kindergarten. In 1965 the main entrance was modified and the original railings were replaced. A new building has been added in the courtyard. With this work, the Faccanoni family made a considerable economic contribution to a building for the benefit of the general public.
The building is in a good state of conservation; there are no records or documentation on it. Inside the building, there are still photographs of the original building on other documents kept by the Faccanoni family.
Giorgi also writes that the generous and capable presidents have included, in addition to Giuseppe Faccanoni, Rina Mazza Cadei, and Ester Romano Bortolotti, who did their utmost to keep the kindergarten in perfect efficiency.
Mrs. Ester Romano Bortolotti has been President of the Kindergarten for many years.
In “Faccanoni” by Antonio Giorgi
Predore, 1995
