Located in the area of Pilonetto, one of the most interesting sections of the Exhibit is the display of materials that participate in the competition devoted to road machinery and sponsored by the Province of Turin and of that of roadbeds materials sponsored by the Italian Touring Club.

The Pavilion of the city of Turin, a building that replaced the "Padiglione del Risorgimento" of earlier fairs, provides a significant example of the sense of Nationalism of the entire event. The pavilion’s function was to celebrate Turin’s leadership in the process of Italian unification with the display of Risorgimento artifacts, documents, and memorabilia gathered from all corners of the peninsula. The building was situated at the very beginning of the Fair itinerary, and was designed by architects Pietro Fenoglio, Stefano Molli and Giacomo Salvadori di Wieshenoff. As many other pavilions, it recalled the structure of a Baroque church, with a pronao (colonnade entrance) and a great dome 47.5 meters in height. The facade displayed a series of "Victories" by sculptor Sassi and statues by Giacomo Buzzi-Reschini. According to the CTI guide, "The exhibit deserved a close examination, as it is evidence of the progress that the old capital of Piedmont achieved in half a century of thoughtfully collected and silently industrious existence."

Giacomo Albertini relocated from Arzo to Turin in his youth to pursue a career as a novelist, journalist, and playwright. After a challenging beginning, he became known for his realistic and sharp novels, such as La venditrice di fumo (The Smoke Vendor) (1883), Le figlie di Eva (Eva's Daughters) (1894) and L’affascinatore (The Mesmerizer) (1900), all serialized in the local newspaper La Gazzetta di Torino under the pen name of “Mario Leoni.” While he was compared to Émile Zola for his commitment to the realistic depiction of social ills, Albertini-Leoni ultimately owed his fame to theatre, as one of the founders of the Turinese dialect theatre. His first play was Bancarotiè (Bankrupter, 1871), followed by Luisa d’Ast (1872), a historical drama, and a series of plays covering social problems such as violence, addiction, and the exploitation of peasants: Ij mal marià (1875), ‘L Bibi (1877), Ij Baraba (1878), and Ij mal nutrì (1886). With La bèla Gigogin (1911), devoted to the Risorgimento theme, he reached the peak of his success. He served as “Consigliere Municipale” (Town Councilor) of Turin, and was later granted the titles of “Grande Ufficiale” and “Deputato” of the Italian Kingdom.

Giovanni Battista Alloati was a prominent Neoclassical sculptor in Turin during the first half of the 20th century. Between 1893-1903, he attended the Royal Albertine Academy of Fine Arts and completed his apprenticeship with contemporary sculptors such as Sartorio, Davide Calandra, Pietro Canonica, Leonardo Bistolfi (he also worked in August Rodin's atelier in Paris, for a short time). During his career, he worked primary in Piedmont, where he had several public and official recognitions, as well as private commissions (i.e. bust of Giolitti, and Monument to Torre Family); he also won several awards (i.e. Turin 1902 - Concorso Nazionale di Arte Decorativa and Cuneo 1905 - Concorso per la Grande Fontana Monumentale) and he participated in many World's Fairs. In the occasion of Turin 1911, he was asked to work on the Monumental Bridge, for which he realized the huge caryatids.

Alfonso Badini-Confalonieri was one of the four Vice Presidents of the Comitato Generale (General Committee) for the organization of the International Exposition of Turin 1911. He held a degree in jurisprudence from the University of Turin and served as mayor of Turin from September 26, 1902 to June 23, 1903. He was elected senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1901.

Count Ernesto Balbo Bertone di Sambuy attended the College Saint Michel in Brussels, Belgium. In 1907 he was named Vice President of the Comitato Generale (General Committee) for the organization of the International Exposition of Turin 1911. His tenure was cut short by his death in 1909. He served as senator for the Italian kingdom and as mayor of Turin (1882-1886). He was President of the Accademia Albertina from 1887 to 1894.

Heir to a large fortune that included extensive rural properties but few liquid assets, Count Ernesto Balbo Bertone di Sambuy coped with the agricultural crisis of the turn of the century by selling off marginal tracts of land and holding firm to his ancestral estates. With the liquid assets thus obtained, he began to buy stocks in railroads, machinery, automotive, and chemical firms.

Antonio Bianchi was one of the vice-presidents of the Executive Committee for the 1911 Exposition.

Ferdinando Bocca, one of the prominent members of the Italian liberal bourgeoisie of the early 20^th century, received a degree in jurisprudence from the University of Turin and went on to work in his family leather tanning business. During his life he played notable political and entrepreneurial roles, such as president of Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian Industry) from 1914 to 1918. He also served as president of the Chamber of Commerce of Turin from 1909 to 1921. He was increasingly involved in politics (specifically with Giovanni Giolitti since 1913), and obtained the Fascist Party membership in 1927, becoming then “Podesta” of Rivalta Turinese during the Thirties.

An eclectic figure in his time, Edoardo Bosio was an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and soccer player. The Bosio family came from the Engadine region of Switzerland, and they owned a textile firm in Turin. After receiving a degree in accounting, Edoardo moved to England to gain experience and professional training with the Thomas Adams lace company in Nottingham. In England, he also became also very interested in soccer (calcio). After returning to Turin in 1887, he founded the Torino Football and Cricket Club, and in 1891 he joined a number of members of the Turin’s aristocracy in the creation of the International Football Club, also known as Internazionale Torino. Considered the “father” of Italian soccer, Bosio participated in the first Italian soccer championship by playing for the Internazionale Torino. Besides his athletic and professional careers, Bosio was also interested in film, and he photographed and directed one of the first shorts in the history of Italian cinema. Co-produced by Vesuvio Film and Ambrosio Film, the 1914 short is entitled La vita negli abissi del mare (Life in the Depths of the Sea).

Riccardo Brayda received a degree in civil engineering in 1874. In 1879, he became an assistant to Professor Angelo Reycend in the Scuola di Applicazione per Ingegneri (today’s Politecnico) where he taught until 1901. In 1901 he resigned from his academic post in order to focus on his commercial affairs and administrative career within the city of Turin. In Turin, he covered many public roles, such as city councilor, member of the General Committee of the Civic Museum of Turin and of the Committee for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Art Works. He also served as council member in the Special Services and Public Work Committee, and was member of the Commission of Urban and Rural Police. In addition, he was project manager for many public events in Turin, and designed a number of buildings such as the Palace for the International Exposition of 1884. Because of his archeological interests and his expertise in medieval history, he played a crucial role in the design of the Medieval Castle and Village in Valentino Park with architect Alfredo D’Andrade.

Giacomo Buzzi Reschini was a Turinese sculptor. As student of Leonardo Bistolfi, he attended the Royal Albertine Academy of Turin, while he worked with the Milanese artists Butti and Pogliaghi. In Turin, he became well-known after participating in the two Exposition of Fine Arts in 1909 (with the famous portrait of a young girl titles "Stella Alpina") and 1911 (in this occasion he won the gold medal for sculpture). The Turin World's Fair Committee asked him to work on the decorative statues of the Pavilion of Music (specifically, on the entire frieze of the dome) and the Pavilion of Argentina (the majestic prancing horses and the two genies in the "pronao"). Others valuable works of him can be found in the Palazzo del Governatorato della Città del Vaticano and in the Collegio Boemo in Rome.

Count Severino Casana (Severino Ignazio Elleno Maria, Conte dei Baroni Casana) was one of the four Vice Presidents of the Comitato Generale (General Committee) for the organization of the International Exposition of Turin 1911. Trained as a civil engineer (laurea in 1863), he served as mayor of Turin from 1898 to 1902 and member of the Camera dei deputati from 1886 to 1897. On May 1, 1898 he was named senator of the Kingdom of Italy. He pursued an academic career at the Scuola di Applicazione per Ingegneri di Torino (today’s Politecnico), where he held a chair in architecture until 1891. He was the first civilian minister of War from 1907 to 1909 in the Giolitti government, and Vice President of the Italian Senate in 1912. In 1885, he inherited the castle of Montalto Dora, which he had restored by famed architect Alfredo D’Andrade, who also designed the Borgo Medievale in the Park of Valentino.

Riccardo Cattaneo received a degree in jurisprudence from the University of Turin. He pursued a career in academia, and starting in 1879, he taught civil law at the University of Turin. In 1901, he became professor of jurisprudence at the Scuola di Applicazione per Ingegneri (today’s Politecnico). Cattaneo also held a number of administrative posts in Turin, including serving as town councilor during the administrations of Secondo Frola and Teofilo Rossi. Elected democratically in 1920, he was the last liberal mayor of Turin before the advent of Fascism. He was granted the title of Senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1924. In his role as senator, he was part of the prestigious committee that reformed the Italian civil code.

Giovanni Chevalley graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the Regia Scuola di Applicazioni per Ingegneri di Torino (today’s Politecnico) in 1891. Soon after graduating, he entered the architectural studio of Count Carlo Ceppi and worked for him for five years., during which he participated in the restauration of the Chiesa della Consolata in Turin. A passionate collector of ancient objects, paintings, ceramics, and furniture, he restored numerous historical villas, palaces, and castles, such as the Agnelli villa in Villar Perosa (1945-47). In 1895, he became an assistant to Carlo Ceppi, who held the chair in architecture at the University of Turin. In 1899, he opened his own architectural firm. In 1908, he was awarded one of the architecture chairs at the Politecnico of Turin, and in 1912 he moved on to teach drawing and architecture at the University of Turin. One of the key interpreters of the style known as barocco torinese, in 1912 he authored the volume Gli architetti, l’architettura, e de decorazione delle ville piemontesi del XVIII secolo.

With architect Vittorio Morelli di Popolo, he designed he Alpine Village (funded by the Italian Touring Club) for the Exposition of Turin in 1911.

Edoardo Daneo was the scion of an influential Piedmont family. He received a degree in jurisprudence from the University of Turin in 1872. After practicing law for a number of years, he embraced a career in politics. He held numerous posts in the administration of the city of Turin, including serving as town councilor from 1884 to 1914. In his role as secretary of the Committee for the Exposition of Turin in 1884, he wrote the Relazione Generale on the Exposition. In the third Crispi government (1893-1896) he served as Undersecretary for the Ministry of Justice. He was appointed Minister of Public Education in the second Sonnino government (1909 -1910) and first Salandra government (March-November 1914), and Minister of Finance in the second Salandra government (November 1914 – June 1916). Edoardo Daneo played a prominent role in drafting the legislation for the country’s primary education system, which became law under the name of the Daneo-Credaro bill of June 1911.

Born in the aristocratic Ferrero di Cavallerleone family, but adopted by Marchioness Adele Ripa Brunone Turinetti di Cambiano in 1874, Cesare subsequently obtained the title of Marquis and took his adopted mother’s last name. In 1869, he graduated with a degree in jurisprudence. He later obtained a degree in letters and philosophy. While fostering his passion for history, letters and science by contributing to the journal Rivista, he pursued a career in finance and politics. A liberal conservative, he was close to Sidney Sonnino, the 19th prime minister of Italy. As a politician, he held numerous posts, including city councilor and mayor of the city of Moncalieri. He served as undersecretary of the Treasury in the second Pelloux government (1899-1900) and undersecretary of Public Works in the Sonnino government (February 8 - May 29, 1906); he also became an Italian senator in 1914, and in 1924 he was appointed Minister of State. As financier, he promoted the development of the national savings banks and he was vice-president (1895-1906) and later president of the Cassa di risparmio di Torino (1906-1919). In 1911 he became president of the Associazione delle casse di risparmio italiane and in 1913 of the Istituto nazionale di credito per la cooperazione (which would later become the Banca nazionale del lavoro). A passionate interventionist, he advocated in favor of Italy’s involvement in World War I, and later gave his support to the Fascist party. A historian of the Italian Risorgimento, he founded the Turin branch of the Società nazionale per la storia del Risorgimento (1907) and was among the creators of the journal Il Risorgimento italiano.

Born in Turin, Cesare Ferro Milone enrolled at the Accademia Albertina delle Belle Arti in 1894, where he studied under the mentorship of painters Giacomo Grosso and Pier Celestino Gilardi until 1899. Specializing in portraits and landscapes, he showed his first pieces at the Societa' promotrice delle Belle Arti in Turin in 1898 and the Circolo torinese degli artisti in 1901. He traveled to Thailand (then Siam) extensively, and between 1904 and 1907 he played a major role in the decoration of the Royal Palace in Bangkok. He created large frescos based on local mythological legends, and various oil paintings, including the Leggenda delle Kimara. In 1910 he was hired as professor adjunct of painting at the Accademia Albertina, a post he kept until 1921. In 1922 he was named Professor of drawing at the Accademia. In 1925, he returned to Thailand to help decorate the palace of Prince Norashing in Bangkok. On that occasion, he painted the portrait of the Queen Mother, Swang Wedona. In 1930, he was named President of the Accademia, a position he held until 1933. Ferro participated to numerous important exhibitions such as the Venice Biennali of 1903, 1905, 1910, 1920, 1922 and 1926. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including a gold medal at the first Biennale in Naples and at the 1904 Paris Salon, and the Principe Umberto Award at the "Esposizione di Brera" in 1908 with "Ritratto di Signora."  Among his most successful paintings are: "Sole d'inverno" (1915, Galleria civica d'Arte moderna, Torino); "L'ora del bagno" (Lugaro, 1935, table 32); "Ritratto di famiglia" (1932, Galleria civica d'Arte moderna, Torino), From 1924 to 1934 he taught etching at the Accademia Albertina. He died in a car crash in 1934.

On the occasion of Turin 1911, he was asked to work in the Pavilion of Siam, where he realized the decorative paintings in the main hall.  Ninety-six of his Siam-inspired watercolors and sketches were displayed in the Pavilion of Siam. Ten of these works are now at the Galleria Civica d'arte moderna in Turin.

See also:

Eraldo Bellini. Pittori piemontesi dell'Ottocento e del Primo Novecento. Torino: Libreria piemontese editrice. 1998.
Dragone Angelo and Dragone Conti Jolanda. I paesisti piemontesi dell'Ottocento. Milan: Istituto grafico Bertieri 1947. 224. 257.
A. M. Comanducci. Dizionario illustrato dei pittori, disegnatori e incisori italiani moderni e contemporanei. Third edition. Eds: Luigi Pelandi and Luigi Servolini. Milan: Leonilde Patuzzi, 1962. 698
Cristina Giudice. "Ferro Milone, Carlo Cesare." Dizionario biografico degli Italiani. Vol 47 (1997).
E. Lugaro. Cesare Ferro. Bergamo: Istituto Italiano d'arti grafiche, 1935.
Angelo Mistrangelo. Cesare Ferro Milone: la magia del colore tra Torino e Bangkok. Torino: Albertina Press, 2018.
https://arteoggiblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/una-mostra-su-cesare-ferro-milone-a-torino/

Secondo Frola followed the family's professional path and earned a degree in Jurisprudence from the University of Turin at the age of 21. Specializing in economic and social issues, Frola became a close ally of the center-left group of Agostino Depretis, and served in important administrative and political posts. He became Minister of the Postal and Telegraphic Services in 1898. He was one of the longest-serving mayors of Turin (1903 – 1909). Under his leadership, Turin underwent numerous projects of urban renewal and development. A fervent promoter of technological advancement, he served as the President of the Royal Italian Industrial Museum (1897-1902) and as president of the Comitato Generale (General Committee) for the organization of the International Exposition of Turin 1911. On June 14, 1900 he was named Senator of the Italian Kingdom, and on October 3, 1911 he was bestowed the title of Count.

Selected References:
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/secondo-frola_(Dizionario-Biografico)

Gerolamo Gerini graduated from the Modena military academy in 1878, and upon discovering that the Royal Army of Siam was looking for European officers to train their soldiers, he decided to enlist. He joined the army of Siam as a lieutenant in charge of training cadets. A prolific writers, Gerini wrote several volumes on the culture, customs, history, archaeology, language, and religion of Siam and was a regular contributor to the Asiatic Quarterly Review. His essay on the archaeology of Siam appeared in The Kingdom of Siam 1904, that A. Cecil Carter edited for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. In 1911, Gerini collaborated with the Royal Siamese Commission for Foreign Exhibitions in the preparation of the exhibits for the Pavilion of Siam. The Executive Committee for the Siamese exhibit in Turin was composed of Gerini himself (Commissioner-General), A. Rigotti (Techinical Director for the building of the Pavilion), and G. Vigna del Ferro (Secretary).

Ignazio Marsengo-Bastia received a degree in jurisprudence and worked as a magistrate and politician. He was Minister of Post and Telegraph from December 24, 1905 to February 8, 1906 during the Fortis government. A follower of Giovanni Giolitti, he was elected to the Italian parliament five times and was Subsecretary of the Interior under the Pelloux government from June 29, 1898 to May 14, 1899.

After receiving a Catholic education in private schools led by Barnabite and Salesian brothers, Stefano Molli graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the Regia Scuola di Applicazioni per Ingegneri di Torino (today’s Politecnico) in 1882. He enriched his education further by enrolling in courses in drawing ("ornato e figura") at the Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti in Turin and spending time in Rome to study classical architecture.

In 1883, he was hired by the architectural firm of Count Carlo Ceppi. He designed numerous public buildings, such as the Parish Church of Novaretto (1886), the Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Suffragio in Susa (1892), the Tipografia Marietti in Turin (1893), and the building for the Unione Tipografica Editrice Torinese (UTET) (1903). He also contributed to the design of the pavilions for the Exposition of Religious Art (Esposizione di Arte Sacra e delle Missioni) in Turin (1898). As the main architect for this Exposition, he framed the exposition's design around five groups (Holy Land; Ottoman Empire; Asia; Africa; and North and South America), each represented by an individual Pavilion intended to showcase the role of the Italian missionaries in that particular area.

Molli restored the Castle of Barengo (Novara) in 1901, and served as the Vice President of the Societa' degli Ingegneri e degli Architetti di Torino in 1913-14. In addition to the Exposition of 1911, he partnered with architect Giacomo Salvadori di Wiesenhof to design the new building for the Politecnico di Torino. 

Molli played a crucial role in the design of Turin 1911. Today his drawings are part of the Archivio Stefano Molli - Fondazione Marazza in Borgomanero (Novara, Italy).  The Molli archive contains 588 architectural drawings for the buildings of Turin 1911.

See also:

Nicoletta Bellone. Stefano Molli architetto tra Ottocento e Novecento: le opere torinesi. Tesi di laurea. Politecnico di Milano. Dipartimento Conservazione Beni Architettonici. Anno accademico 1990-1991.
Carlo Bonola Lorella. In Memoria di Stefano Molli. S. Benigno Canavese: Scuola Tipografica Don Bosco, 1917.
Mara Passuello and Alessandra Perino. Stefano Molli: Architettura e restauro nella cultura piemontese tra Ottocento e Novecento: Percorso per un regesto archivistico. Tesi di laurea. Politecnico di Torino. Facolta' di architettura, Anno accademico 2002-2003.
Alfredo Papale. "L'archivio e la Biblioteca Molli in Borgomanero." Bollettino storico per la provincia di Novara. LXiX.1 (1978): 1-16.
G.A. Reycend. L'ingegnere Stefano Molli e la sua opera di architetto. Torino: Edizioni d'Arte E. Celanza 1916.
Esposizione Italiana 1898: Arte Sacra e Missioni cattoliche. Torino: Roux & Frassati, 1898.

Fondazione Marazza-Archivio Molli:  http://win.fondazionemarazza.it/web/archivio-stefano-molli.asp

Michelangelo Monti studied at the Regia Accademia di Brera, Milan. After moving to Turin in 1896, he continued his training at the Accademia Albertina (1896-99).  He worked as a sculptor and painter, specializing in portraits and full-figure paintings typically commissioned by Turin’s high middle class families. In 1908 he took part in the competition for the statues for Ponte Umberto I.  He created a group of statues for the Pavilion of Festivals and Concerts allegorizing Music for the 1911 Exposition of Turin.  His most famous sculpture is the “Toro rampante” for the Toro Insurance Company.

See also:

Alfonso Panzetta, Michelangelo Monti (1875-1946). Torino: Umberto Allemandi & C. 1995.

On the occasion of Turin 1911,the painter and sculptor Emilio Musso made the stucco decorations of the Pavilion of Siam. Student of the Piemontese sculptor Rubini, Musso actively worked as both painter and sculptor: in the first case, focused his production on still life paintings and portraits; in the second case, he mainly produced memorial monuments, and funeral and religious statues. He participated in many group exhibits at "Circolo degli artisti" in Turin (1922,1925-1927, 1939-1941) and at "Promotrice dell'Arte" (since 1922).

Count Delfino Orsi served as the vice-president of the Executive Committee. He held a degree in Lettere and worked as a journalist and then director for the Turinese daily La gazzetta del popolo. He served as President of the Administrative Committee for this newspaper. In 1824 he was elected as senator of the kingdom of Italy. A prolific writer, he wrote and co-wrote numerous books, including Il teatro in dialetto piemontese: studio critico (1890).

Felice Panié held a degree in jurisprudence from the Regia Università degli studi di Torino.

Italian architect exponent of the Liberty. He attended the Accademia Albertina in 1898 and then he gratuated at Regia Scuola di Applicazioni per Ingegneri di Torino (today’s Politecnico). He worked in Brescia and later on in Turin for Giovanni Agnelli for wich he designed the first plant of F.I.A.T in Corso Dante (1904-1906).

In 1911 worked for the Municipality of Turin as Director of the Tecnical Office for the International Exposition.

As painter he decorated the Pavilion of depicted the Pavilion of Festivals and Concerts with Sobrile (Le esposizioni del 1911. Roma, Torino, Firenze, Milano: Fratelli Treves, p.110), and he depected a watermarker of the Pavilion itself (published in Le esposizioni del 1911. Roma, Torino, Firenze, Milano: Fratelli Treves, p.27) and of the Stadium (p.46).

Count Felice Enrico Vittorio Gaspare Rignon was one of the four Vice Presidents of the Comitato Generale (General Committee) for the organization of the International Exposition in Turin 1911. He studied at the Military Academy of Turin, and fought in the first Italian War of Independence (1848-1849). He served as mayor of Turin from November 20, 1870 to December 31, 1877, and also, for shorter periods, between 1895 and 1898. In 1863, he was among the founders of the Club Alpino Italiano. He served as President of the Circolo degli Artisti di Torino and was among the organizers of the Italian Exposition of 1898. Like count Balbo Bertone, he was the heir of a large landed estate.

Annibale Rigotti graduated from the Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti in Turin in 1890. His interest for the architecture of the Expositions dates back to 1902, when he participated in the designs for the Esposizione di Arte Decorativa Moderna, in Turin, and 1906, when he earned the second prize in a competition to design a Palazzo delle Esposizioni for the Esposizione del Sempione in Milan. In 1907, he travelled to Siam (currently Thailand), where he collaborated with Italian architect Mario Tamagno and engineer Carlo Allegri to design the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. He returned to Italy in 1909. In 1923 he went to Bangkok again, staying till 1926. He designed Villa Norasingh and the gardens of Saranrom Palace, and served as the chief architect for the Public Works Department. After returning to Turin, he designed with his son Giorgio Rigotti the Palazzo a Vela in 1961. Rigotti held several teaching positions, including Professor of Industrial drawing at the Istituto Tecnico G. Sommeiller (1893-1923). He also taught at the Politecnico of Turin, and at the Regia Scuola di Architettura di Torino from 1931-1933.

Count Teofilo Rossi di Montelera served as Vice-president of the Executive Committee for the Turin 1911 Exposition. After earning a degree in Jurisprudence from the University of Turin in 1886, Teofilo Rossi divided his interests between business and politics. His father, Luigi, had started a successful liqueur and aromatized wine industry with partners Alessandro Martini and Teofilo Sola: today the brand is known as Martini&Rossi. The international success of the brand was quick due to a number of strategic choices, including using the competitive stage of the International Expositions such as Paris 1878; Milan 1881; Bordeaux 1882; Antwerp 1885, etc., and opening satellite production and commercialization sites in Barcelona, Geneva, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Yokohama, and Kobe.

Teofilo Rossi was a cultured man, with life-long interests in history and literature (especially Dante). He was one of the founders of the Societa' Storica Subalpina (1895) and of the Biblioteca della Societa' Storica Subalpina, a series of publications devoted to the study of the Piedmontese Middle Ages. With Ferdinando Gabotto, Rossi also co-authored the massive, yet unfinished, Storia di Torino, and a vast number of articles on the Italian Risorgimento, which articulated a narrative of national unity for 19th century Italy. He served as the President of the Museo nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano (See: Pierangelo Gentile, "Lo Studioso di storia subalpina" and Silvia Cavicchioli, "La presidenza del Museo nazionale del RIsorgilento Italiano" in Teofilo Rossi: Il sindaco di Torino della grande esposizione.  Ed. Tomaso Ricardi di Netro. Torino: Centro di studi piemontesi, 2016. 117-27; 129-43).

His wealth allowed him to devote himself to politics and public engagement. He was the Mayor of Turin from 1909 to 1917.  He was part of the Consiglio Comunale for the city of Turin (1896-1923) and of the Chamber of Commerce, where he served as President from 1902 to 1909 and again from 1921 to 1924. He was named Senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1909. On the 50^th anniversary of the Unification of Italy and on the occasion of the inauguration of the Exposition of Turin 1911, King Victor Emmanuel III bestowed upon him the title of Count of Montelera. His political alliances were always in the Giolitti's camp and he favored non-interventionist (neutrality) positions, though when Italy entrered World War I on the side of France and England in 1915, he found himself forced to support the war effort, ultimatly resigning from his mayoral post in 1917 (See: Rosanna Roccia, "Consigliere comunale e sindaco di Torino" and Pier Luigi Bassignana "Il Sindaco Rossi e l'Esposizione Internazionale di Torino del 1911"  in Teofilo Rossi: Il sindaco di Torino della grande esposizione.  Ed. Tomaso Ricardi di Netro. Torino: Centro di studi piemontesi, 2016. 21-70; 71-98).

The golden age of Teofilo Rossi's political career (1909-1914) saw his participation in the diplomatic manouevres that resulted in the alliance with France, England and Russia (Entente Cordiale), and the separation from Austria and Germany (Triple Alliance) --manoeuvres that Rossi contribued to in his leadership role for the 1911 Exposition. The Exposition was an effort to re-position the city of Turin in the changing European landscape. Rossi also oversaw impressive infrastructure and urban renovation projects to propel Turin into modernity.  As one of the main leaders of the bourgeoise ideals, Rossi garnered protracted criticism from Antonio Gramsci in the pages of L'Avanti. 

After Mussolini's March on Rome, he served as Minister of Industry and Trade from 1922 to 1923, at which point he resigned as his liberal foundations did not align with the regime.  He was granted the purely honorific title of Ministro di Stato (See: Aldo Alessandro Mola, "Il Giolittiano al Governo da Facta a Mussolini"  in Teofilo Rossi: Il sindaco di Torino della grande esposizione.  Ed. Tomaso Ricardi di Netro. Torino: Centro di studi piemontesi, 2016. 99-116).

See Teofilo Rossi: Il sindaco di Torino della grande esposizione.  Ed. Tomaso Ricardi di Netro. Torino: Centro di studi piemontesi, 2016

Giovanni Sacheri graduated with a degree in Engineering from the Regia Scuola d’Applicazione per gli Ingegneri (today’s Politecnico) in Turin, where he became professor of Drawing. Sacheri also taught linear, geometric, and mechanical drawing and applied geometry at the Albertine Academy of Turin. Sacheri authored several papers on topics related to civil and industrial engineering and edited, together with Raffaele Pareto, the Enciclopedia delle Arti e industrie (1878). He was also editor of the journal, L'ingegneria civile e le arti industriali (1875 - 1906), and of the technical journal, L'ingegneria, le arti, e le industrie alla Esposizione generale italiana in Torino 1884. Among his publications, several are related to contemporary industrial expositions, such as: Le Costruzioni Moderne di Tutte le Nazioni alla Esposizione di Parigi del 1878: Studio Critico Comparativo dell'ingegnere G. Sacheri; and Sulla Meccanica Industriale e sulle Macchine Agricole quali Erano Rappresentate all'esposizione Universale di Vienna nel Giugno 1873.

Vittorio Sclopis graduated with a degree in Engineering from the Scuola di applicazione per gli ingegneri di Torino (today’s Politecnico) in 1866, and went on to run his family’s business. In 1812, Vittorio’s grandfather, Vittorio Felice Sclopis, founded a chemical company, Sclopis & Carignani, that produced sulfuric acid and sulfates. After Vittorio Felice’s heirs purchased rights to the mines in the area of Brosso (Torino), the company became the most important extractive company in Italy and the first to manufacture sulfuric acid using pyrite. After Vittorio Sclopis took over the management of the family’s company, he was very successful in taking advantage of his age’s technological innovations such as the use of funicular railways to increase production in the Brosso mines. In addition, with Italy’s entry into World War I, the company enjoyed increased revenues when it began to participate in the war effort by producing explosives.

Vittorio Sclopis was a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Turin, and the founder of the Associazione chimica industriale di Torino. Inspired by North European models, he emphasized the connections between industry, politics, and scientific research in the name of progress and industrial expansion in both roles. Sclopis also served as town councilor in Turin from 1896 to 1899.

Mario Tamagno was educated at the Accademia Albertina in Turin, where he taught for five years after graduating in 1895. In 1900, he traveled to Siam (today’s Thailand) to work for the Siamese government. There, he collaborated with another Italian architect, Annibale Rigotti, to create important buildings in Bangkok. In 1907, Rigotti and Tamagno designed the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall in the Royal Plaza, a spectacular domed structure completed in 1915. Tamagno also built the Suan Kularb Residential Hall and Throne Hall in Dusit Garden, and the Hua Lampong Railway Station in 1910-1912. In 1913 King Rama VI (1910 – 1925) entrusted Tamagno and Rigotti with the reconstruction of the Santa Cruz Church (the Portuguese church was first built in 1770 and rebuilt in 1835). Tamagno also contributed to building the Neilson Hays Library in Surawongse Road. After completion of his first government contract in 1925, he was asked to continue on, and the Siamese government commissioned him to complete the Villa Norasing (today’s House of Government). He designed the Pavilion of Siam for the 1911 Exposition in Turin. He returned to Italy in May 1926.

Enrico Thovez was a well-known literary critic and poet in Turin. He attended a professional secondary school and enrolled the School of Sciences in 1886, but he soon changed his academic path and graduated from the Facolta' di Lettere in 1896. He wrote for numerous literary magazines, including La gazzetta letteraria, and collaborated with several newspapers, such La gazzetta del popolo, Il corriere della sera and Il Resto del Carlino", writing about art, contemporary culture and literary criticism. In 1902 he founded the journal L'arte decorativa moderna, with Leonardo Bistolfi, Giorgio Ceragioli, Enrico Reycend and Davide Calandra and joined the editorial staff of the national daily La Stampa. Thovez was also involved in the visual arts: he participated in the Venice Biennale as a painter, and was the director of the Museum of Modern Art in Turin for ten years. Among his writings, Il poema dell’adolescenza (1901), L’opera pittorica di Vittorio Avondo (1912), Mimi dei moderni (1919), L’arco di Ulisse (1921), Poemi di amore e di arte (1922), Il viandante e la sua orma (1923), and La ruota di Issione (1925).

Tommaso Villa received a degree in jurisprudence from the University of Turin in 1853. Throughout his life, he combined the legal profession with a successful career in politics, starting with his election to the Chamber of Deputies in 1865. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly and was Minister of the Interior in Benedetto Cairoli’s government (1879). He also served as Minister of Justice (1879-81) and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies (1886-95). From 1895 to 1897, he was President of the Montecitorio Assembly, and President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1900 to 1902. He became a Senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1909. He organized several expositions in Turin, and, because of his extensive experience, was asked to serve as President of the exposition of Turin 1911.