Abitare la Vacanza / Pineta Modernissima
From 3 to 5 July 2026, the third edition of “Abitare la vacanza” will take place. This architecture festival was created with the aim of promoting greater awareness of the cultural value of holiday homes designed by the masters of modern architecture, both in Mediterranean coastal settings and in mountain environments.
The festival, conceived by the cultural association plug_in in 2023 and curated by Emanuele Piccardo, launches a new format this year, set in an iconic holiday destination: the Pineta di Arenzano.
Born from the vision of two leading figures of 20th-century Italian architecture, Ignazio Gardella and Marco Zanuso, the Arenzano Pine Forest stands as an emblematic example of the integration of architecture, landscape and nature. The project was made possible thanks to the enlightened patronage of the Marquise Negrotto Cambiaso and the Marquis Marcello Cattaneo Adorno, who helped transform this retreat for Milan’s upper middle class into a laboratory of excellence for modern Italian architecture. The development plan drawn up by Gardella and Zanuso dates back to 1956 and celebrates its seventieth anniversary this year. Over time, some of the most important figures in Italian architecture have contributed to the development of La Pineta, leaving behind an architectural legacy of extraordinary value.
“Abitare la Vacanza / Pineta Modernissima” aims to showcase the Pineta, its architecture and its natural heritage through a programme of talks, readings and screenings. The festival will also provide an opportunity to explore the work of the masters of Italian Rationalism through a series of guided tours focusing on holiday architecture designed by, among others, Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Ignazio Gardella, Vico Magistretti and Luigi Caccia Dominioni.
Conceived as a multi-phase project, the programme will run from 2026 to 2028 with the aim of promoting the Pineta through photographic campaigns, studies and research dedicated to its architecture. The initiative will lead to the establishment of the Pineta di Arenzano Archive, intended to collect and make available online documents from photographic archives, public collections and private collections.