Adriano Olivetti and Beauty: dispersed exhibition across Vicenza

Adriano Olivetti and Beauty: dispersed exhibition across Vicenza historic centre

Dates: 1 April - 10 May 2026

The dispersed exhibition “Adriano Olivetti and Beauty” opened at Palazzo Cordellina. The project offers a walking itinerary through Vicenza’s historic core with displays of iconic Olivetti objects, communication materials and architectural references spread across palaces, galleries and shop windows.

Itinerary and key sites

• Palazzo Cordellina – exhibits of hallmark Olivetti products (historic typewriters and calculating machines).
• Anti Odeo, at the entrance of the Teatro Olimpico – the first industrially produced Italian typewriter.
• Court of Palazzo Trissino – installations highlighting the quality of commercial spaces conceived in the Olivetti era.
• La Pasticceria di ASA Studio Albanese (Contrà San Francesco 68) – photographic and architectural material on workplaces.
• Corso Palladio 139 – a temporarily reopened shop where visitors can try historic typewriters and engage in tactile experiences.
• Themed shop windows across the historic centre (including temporarily vacant premises) underlining the exhibition’s urban regeneration aim.

Selected events

• 9 April, 18:00 – Palladio Museum: meeting with one of the Programma 101 inventors to discuss Olivetti’s technological legacy.
• 16 April, 18:00 – Palazzo Cordellina: panel on industrial welfare and the notion of “humanist businesses”.
• 28 April, 18:00 – Palazzo Cordellina: discussion on corporate libraries and the relationship between industry and culture.
• 5 May, 18:00 – Palazzo Cordellina: roundtable on translating Olivetti’s values into business strategy.
• 7 May, 18:00 – La Pasticceria di ASA Studio Albanese: talk on Olivetti’s experimental architectures.

The exhibition also includes illustration displays, workshops and other side events organised by local cultural partners. The programme aims to celebrate monumental sites in the city and demonstrate how temporary cultural uses can reactivate underused urban spaces.

Practical information

A printed map of the route is available from the tourist information office in Piazza Matteotti and at participating shops in the historic centre. Check the official exhibition programme for updates to times and locations.

Visitor tips: allow sufficient time to visit multiple venues, wear comfortable shoes and verify individual opening hours before travelling.