Cairate Monastery | Marco Albini

The Monastery of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in the seventh century by the noble Longobard Manegunda, is one of the most important examples of Benedictine medieval architecture from northern Italy. The restoration was not limited to the preservation of the existing structures but, through the reconstruction of the volumes in a contemporary key, it became the headquarters of the Town Hall of Cairate and a cultural space capable of accommodating the valuable art collections of the Varese Province. Following the discovery of the foundations of a building dating back to late antiquity in the so called court of Saint Pancrazio, a volume of structural glass was implemented, useful to enhance and protect the artifacts and welcome the Municipal Library.