Moored since 1961 in Ossuccio along the western shore of Lake Como, the Velarca, a historic house-boat that has become part of the lake landscape, is in need of restoration work.
Donated to FAI (Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano - Italian Environment Fund) in 2011 by Aldo and Maria Luisa Norsa, the house-boat shows signs of significant degradation in the submerged part of the hull, as well as in the part that stands above the water. FAI, an international organisation that helps to preserve and maintain Italy’s national heritage and cultural assets, has therefore decided to move the boat from the lake to the mainland so as to proceed with the restoration.
Designed by the legendary Studio BBPR (Belgiojoso, Banfi, Perassutti and Rogers) in Milan, the Velarca was built based on the model of the “gondola corriera tramezzina,” the traditional boat that sailed the waters of Lake Como for the transportation of sand. It was built with the goal of making it a meeting place for intellectuals who frequented the lake in the 1960s.
