MONTE VERITÀ ASCONA

The first time I heard about it, I felt an immediate connection something I just had to explore. For me, Monte Verità was, and in many ways still is, a source of inspiration and excitement. It felt like a kind of sophisticated Eldorado, capturing everything I’ve always found fascinating about the last century. A haven of social utopia, it attracted some of the brightest minds of its time, offering them space for dialogue, creativity, and experimentation.

A mix of free spirits and visionaries came together completely organically to shape a story that today feels almost legendary. To understand its beginnings, we need to go back to the fall of 1900. That’s when a group of young people set out from Munich in search of a place to build a new kind of life. The group included Ida and Jenny Hofmann, both musicians; the brothers Gusto, an artist, and Karl Gräser; Henri Oedenkoven, the son of a wealthy industrialist from Antwerp; and Lotte Hattemer. They settled on Monte Monescia, across from Lake Maggiore in Ticino, Switzerland. They renamed it Monte Verità “Mountain of Truth” and began living by their own rules, embracing a lifestyle closely tied to nature and rejecting the growing influence of capitalism. Ida, Henri, and Karl had met earlier in Slovenia, at a health retreat founded by naturopath Arnold Rikli.

He believed that open-air huts could help people reconnect with their health and well-being. The community at Monte Verità adopted these same kinds of simple wooden shelters minimal furniture, wide windows, and open, airy spaces. Residents wore loose clothing made from cotton and linen, let their hair grow long, farmed the land, practiced

eurythmic exercises, sunbathed, breathed fresh air, and followed a strict plant-based diet. They avoided anything that could disrupt their inner harmony, including salt, alcohol, and coffee. One of the community’s core values was freeing the body from the

constraints imposed by modern society. But it didn’t take long for tensions to surface. Henri, who had financed the land purchase, wanted to open a wellness center that would accept paying guests an idea that went against Gusto’s principles. Gusto left and moved into a cave in Arcegno, while Karl and Jenny Hofmann relocated to a home at the foot of the mountain. Despite the internal conflicts, the sanatorium quickly gained a reputation across Europe and even overseas. Word spread that this was a place of healing and innovation. Over time, the site expanded architecturally. In 1902, the Central House was built, followed by Casa Selma in 1904 (now part of the museum), and later Casa Aida, Casa Andrea, Casa Elena, the Tea House, and the Russian House used by Russian students after 1910 and now home to exhibits and performances. Casa Anatta was built in a theosophical style, with rounded corners, double wooden walls, sliding doors, vaulted ceilings, large windows, a flat roof, and a sunbathing terrace. To understand the significance of this architecture, it’s worth noting that in 1929, modern architecture pioneer Siegfried Giedion featured Casa Anatta in his book Liberated Living, emphasizing the rooftop as a living space (Monte Verità, Stefan Bollmann, 2019, EDT). In 1978, Casa Anatta reopened to host the now-permanent exhibit Monte Verità: The Breasts of Truth curated by renowned Swiss curator Harald Szeemann. Since 1981, it has also served as the historical museum of the site. The community also drew many intellectuals, anarchists, philosophers, and psychoanalysts who helped shape its story.

Notable figures included writer Hermann Hesse, philosopher Max Weber, dancer Isadora Duncan, Prince Peter Kropotkin, and psychoanalyst Otto Gross who envisioned a “School for the Liberation of Humanity.” Hungarian choreographer and founder

of modern dance, Rudolf von Laban, played a central role. He arrived in 1913 and brought his summer “Art School” courses to the mountain. His 1917 performance Hymn to the Sun was such a hit that Monte Verità became a cultural landmark. As Nicoletta Mongini, Cultural Director of the Monte Verità Foundation, writes in Monte Verità: History,

Visions, and Utopias, Laban was soon followed by the Dadaists Hugo Ball, Emmy Hennings, Hans Arp, and Sophie Taeuber; Mary Wigman debuted her sacred dance in Casa Anatta; and Russian expressionists Marianne Werefkin and Alexej von Jawlensky stayed on the mountain after arriving in Ticino. Romanian painter Artur Segal also sought refuge there and painted murals in the local cemetery. In 1920, Ida and Henri moved to Brazil. The remaining buildings were turned into artist studios and accommodations. Six years later, Baron von

der Heydt purchased the property, turning it into his private residence. A patron of the arts, banker, and collector, he saved Monte Verità from neglect. He transformed Casa Anatta into his home and commissioned a Bauhaus-style hotel thought to be designed by Mies van der Rohe and built by German architect Emil Fahrenkamp. This year, the hotel has been fully restored to its original 1935 design. Thanks to this new chapter, Monte Verità welcomed

key figures from the Bauhaus movement, including Gropius, Albers, and Breuer. Baron von der Heydt deserves much of the credit for nurturing Monte Verità’s legacy as a center for cultural exchange a legacy that continues to thrive today with a full calendar of events, conferences, and exhibitions. One major event is the Asconosc(i)enza Festival, a month-long program of talks, workshops, and performances. This year’s topics included space exploration with journalist Paolo Attivissimo, artificial intelligence with Andrea Rizzoli (Director of the Dalle Molle Institute), and a conversation around the artist’s book Stanze by Meri Gorni with curator Gabi Scardi and poets Anna Ruchat and Massimo Daviddi. Anthropologist and geographer Matteo Meschiari spoke about Swiss botanist Mosè Bertoni, who emigrated to Paraguay in the late 1800s, exploring the relationship between utopia and real-world experience. To mark the anniversary of curator Harald Szeemann’s passing, two special events are planned in his honor. And in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s death, a full day of panels, workshops, and performances will take place, in collaboration with the Swiss Anthroposophical Society and co-curated by Sergio Gaiti. This fall, a conference organized by Gianna Mina art historian and Director of the Vincenzo Vela Museum along with Nicoletta Mongini, will explore the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “Total Art.”