“Le vittime del lavoro”: a focus

In conjunction with and in dialogue with Bertille Bak’s exhibition, the museum presents a focused display on the Gotthard Tunnel, centred on Vincenzo Vela’s “Vittime del lavoro” («Victims of Labour», 1882-83). Among the earliest European monuments honouring the working class, this high-relief pays tribute both to the miners who perished during the construction of the first Gotthard railway tunnel and to the secular dignity of labour. In addition to works and archival materials relating to the monument’s genesis, the presentation includes a selection of testimonies and documents connected to the Alpine Gallery, drawn from public and private archives.