Tempio Voltiano

The Voltian Temple, located in the area of the gardens by the lake and inaugurated in 1928, was conceived as a venue to host the originals and the reconstructions of the scientific instruments of Alessandro Volta.

The promoter and financier of the construction was the cotton entrepreneur Francesco Somaini who, once the work was completed, made a gift of it to the city of Como. The architect chosen as designer was Federico Frigerio; he, realising the work in neoclassical style with an explicit reference to the Pantheon, wanted the building to be worthy of the great scientist from Como, not only for the high scientific and documentary value of its contents, but also for its impressive monumental appearance.

The objects on display in the Tempio Voltiano constitute a rich sample of appliances, machines and instruments that allow the visitor to fully explore the themes of Volta's studies:

• The invention of the battery: his most famous contribution to modern physics.
• Electrology: the fundamental studies on electrical phenomena.
• Study of gases: research into the physical properties of air and gaseous matter.