Redesign and Grand Relaunch of "Di Onda in Onda – Atelier of Water and Energy" in Ligonchio

In recent days, a preview was held for local schools. A playful and scientific environment designed not only for children but for all ages, focused on energy, water, sun, electrons, that raises questions about climate change and environmental sustainability

The initiative is funded by the Municipality of Ventasso through a PNRR grant, with the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park as a partner, Fondazione Reggio Children as the coordinating body, and the Department of Science and Methods for Engineering at Unimore

The impactful new set-up of “Di Onda in Onda – Atelier of Water and Energy” at the Enel hydroelectric power plant in Ligonchio will be officially presented to the public on Saturday, July 26. Activities will then begin in September, welcoming and inspiring visitors of all ages, from 3 to 99 years old, including schools of all levels, the local community, universities and research centers, other hydroelectric facilities and institutions working in the field of renewable energy, as well as families and all citizens interested.

The renewed Atelier of Water and Energy—ranging from the waves of water to electromagnetic waves, brings together multiple approaches and experiences, from the culture of the atelier to school-based laboratories and experiential museums. The goal is to create a hybrid research space capable of offering new opportunities for learning and discovery. A place where wonder, curiosity, and amazement become privileged tools to engage diverse audiences and foster a rich and transformative educational experience. 

The project was recently introduced in Castelnovo Monti during a dedicated meeting with a network of schools from across the Reggio Emilia Apennines, which will be key participants in the new Atelier, together with the Ligonchio community. All were invited to take part in upcoming activities planned around the start of the new school year. 

The Atelier builds on the legacy of the original 2008 project, which came to a close in 2019, and is now being relaunched with the support of Enel. It embraces the challenge of continuing the dialogue between science and pedagogy, between scientific and artistic languages, while also addressing the realities of an increasingly digital and complex society, the ongoing cultural debate on climate change and environmental sustainability, and the importance of lifelong learning. 

The project has been made possible through funding from the Municipality of Ventasso, in collaboration with the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park, and thanks to a grant awarded in 2022 from the European Union's PNRR program, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Culture under the call “Attractiveness of Historic Villages – Local Regeneration Project” for the initiative “Ligonchio: where Energy becomes Culture.” The Atelier, housed within the Enel hydroelectric power plant, is one of three key spaces, along with the local cinema-theater and former municipal building of Ligonchio, being requalified in a unified vision to contribute to the regeneration of the historic village. This is achieved through cultural and environmental education initiatives that build on the community’s deep-rooted connection with the power plant, while expanding its appeal to new audiences. Specifically, €368,000 has been allocated for the redesign of the Atelier. 

Project partners include the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park, which involved Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Loris Malaguzzi ETS, and the Department of Science and Methods for Engineering at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore).

ENERGY AT THE CORE OF THE ATELIER 

Energy, in its many forms, is the central theme of the Atelier. Energy is the basis of every physical, natural, and biological phenomenon. It cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This world made of water, sunlight, electrons, and electromagnetic waves is the world the Atelier aims to represent, describe, question, and understand—both inside and outside the Ligonchio hydroelectric power plant. It is the eternal cycle of energy. It is the cycle of life. 

The Atelier thus becomes a space where exploration and discovery happen naturally, through play, dialogue, and research, always generating new questions. The redesign of the Atelier aimed to create an innovative setting that also enhances the historic 1922 Liberty-style power plant. The journey begins with the genius loci—the Apennine landscape—moving from the energy of water to that of the sun. Visitors will be welcomed into a flexible, ever-changing space conceived as a living, “speaking” organism, where furnishings and materials engage in dialogue with one another and with the people present. Natural elements intertwine with reflective metal surfaces, carefully chosen not only for their aesthetic value but also for their symbolic meaning: they reflect the face of the observer. 

Newly designed equipment and prototypes support and host research, thinking, inquiry, dialogue, and exchange, for small or large groups or even individual experiences. 

DIVERSE DISCIPLINES WORKING TOGETHER 

The multidisciplinary team behind the new Atelier brought together diverse fields of knowledge, under the pedagogical coordination of Carla Rinaldi, Honorary President of Fondazione Reggio Children. The project reflects the values of the Reggio Emilia educational experience, especially regarding learning spaces and the atelier culture, developed through Fondazione Reggio Children, the coordinating institution, and Reggio Children Srl, with contributions from training programs and ateliers at the Loris Malaguzzi International Center. The scientific expertise on various forms of energy was provided by DISMI-Unimore; the environmental stewardship and regional development knowledge came from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park; local schools of all levels contributed through close collaboration; and architectural design was developed by Studio LAPIS, with architect Carlo Margini.

The operational working group was coordinated by Valentina Conte, architect and expert in learning spaces at Fondazione Reggio Children, and included: Elena Sofia Paoli, atelierista of Fondazione, for the Dismi-Unimore, Claudio Melioli, astrophysicist and professor of Photovoltaic Technologies, for Reggio Children Marco Spaggiari, atelierista e Benedetta Barbantini, training coordinator, Italy projects lead, Rosa Buonanno, PhD in Reggio Childhood Studies.

INSTITUTIONS MEET THE SCHOOLS

Speaking at the well-attended meeting with school staff, Enrico Ferretti, Mayor of the Municipality of Ventasso, stated: “The inauguration of the 'Di Onda in Onda' Atelier is a deeply meaningful moment for the Municipality of Ventasso. Bringing the Ligonchio Hydroelectric Power Plant, such a symbolic place for our community, back to life means revitalizing a significant part of our history, while also projecting it into the future. Thanks to European PNRR funds and the collaboration with Enel, the Diocese of Reggio Emilia, the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park, Fondazione Reggio Children, and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, we have transformed this space into a center for culture, education, and sustainability. Like Ligonchio’s theater-cinema, the Atelier was not operational when we began our term in office. Through vision and perseverance, we were able to restore and reactivate decaying structures like this Atelier, which is now reborn as a place open to all: children, families, schools, and scholars. A place for learning through experimentation, play, exploration, intertwining science, art, and educational thinking. For us administrators, this is not just a structural intervention but a true visionary choice. We believe that culture, knowledge, and environmental respect are the foundations on which to build a sustainable future for our mountains. Today, we affirm with conviction: the mountain not only exists, it has something to say and to offer to new generations.”

Fausto Giovanelli, President of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park: “The National Park's emilian headquarters is in Ligonchio, where the Enel power station stands as a cathedral, not only historical but also social and cultural, now hosting, in spaces once used for mechanical work, a creative environment for sustainability education. This project was launched over fifteen years ago, then paused due to COVID and other reasons. Now, it is being relaunched with a new vision that includes new frontiers of energy, ecological transition, and digital transformation. 'Di Onda in Onda – The Atelier of Water and Energy' presents itself as a lab to improve education for young people across the mountain area, but also as an attractive educational experience nationwide, a pedagogy of science aimed not only at children and youth but at people of all ages.”

Cristian Fabbi, General Director of Fondazione Reggio Children: “We are picking up the thread of the 2008 Atelier, whose pedagogical coordination then, as now, was entrusted to Carla Rinaldi, then President of Reggio Children srl, and with the new project President of Fondazione Reggio Children. Carla has always guided us in meeting the challenges of our time. With the new vision and revitalization, the Atelier now opens not only to children aged 0–11 but to all age groups and audiences, to "explore-minds", to learning experiences for diverse users and purposes, in deeper dialogue with the historic building. The Atelier will live thanks to the participation of schools and the public. Visits will be flexible: a creative learning Atelier, a school lab, or an interactive, playful museum experience that visitors can explore on their own. "Di Onda in Onda" also becomes part of Fondazione Reggio Children’s landscape of learning spaces, guided by research, solidarity, and quality education. It connects Ligonchio’s energy-focused research with sustainability and climate crisis research carried out at the Caffarri site in Reggio Emilia, including its labs and Remida, the Creative Recycling Center, places designed to welcome the explorations of younger generations.” 

Elena Degoli, Full Professor of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics and Deputy Director of the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering (DISMI) at Unimore, and university coordinator for the project, added: “More than fifteen years after the first Atelier, whose scientific creator was Professor Olmes Bisi, the first Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in Reggio Emilia - Unimore, and in particular DISMI, were eager to take part in this new project. Our goal is to reaffirm and strengthen our commitment to science communication and raising awareness about energy and environmental issues. In a society that has seen rapid technological evolution in recent years, DISMI, in synergy with other partners, has embraced the challenge of rethinking and updating the experiments proposed within the Atelier—adapting educational approaches and tools to today's reality. The main challenge was to make the complex physical phenomena related to energy and its green production accessible to a wide and diverse audience in terms of both age and scientific background.”

Paola Bacci, Principal of the “Cattaneo-Dall’Aglio” High School in Castelnovo Monti, which helped organize the event with the schools, positively remarked: “It went very well. All the local schools participated. I observed great enthusiasm and curiosity, and it’s only right that there are high expectations for this visionary and ambitious project. Schools will deepen their collaboration, not only with each other but also with the Park, Fondazione Reggio Children, Reggio Children srl, and Unimore, for this extraordinary educational and formative opportunity for children and young people.”

After the inauguration on July 26 and the start of the school year, schools will work together to define how to best benefit from the Atelier’s learning experiences, from the time needed for exploration to transportation methods for reaching the power plant.

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