2026 volumes in honor of the 2026 Olympics. The installation housing them is designed by Finemateria, Alumni IED, and was created in collaboration with the Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation and AIE – the Italian Publishers Association (with support from the Lombardy Region) as part of the Milan Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad. After the holiday season, it will continue to serve as a bookcrossing initiative.
In Milan, the first "Alberolibro" Christmas tree: an installation to preserve and promote culture
Date
09 December 2024
Books as roots and fruits of one of the universal symbols of Christmas.
Until January 8, 2025, in the central Piazza Città di Lombardia in Milan, visitors can admire the first Alberolibro, an installation created by young designers from Finemateria, Alumni IED, featuring 2026 books that will later be donated to 20 school libraries.
Thanks to these books and the installation that houses them, culture becomes a shared experience. The initiative, part of the Milan Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad (a multidisciplinary, plural, and widespread program that will enliven Italy by promoting Olympic and Paralympic values through culture, heritage, and sports), is spearheaded by the Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation. It is a collaboration with IED and AIE – the Italian Publishers Association, supported by the Lombardy Region and Item as a technical partner.
The project conveys a powerful message of cultural and territorial sharing, bringing together the missions and expertise of all the partners. Reading and culture play a central role in the urban and regional fabric of Lombardy and represent key activities within the social and cultural policies promoted by the Lombardy Region.
The 2026 volumes were collected by AIE – the Italian Publishers Association through its member network as part of the #ioleggoperché project, as well as by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore and il Saggiatore. At the end of the Christmas season, the books will be donated to 20 school libraries.
Around the Alberolibro: Workshops for schools
The Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation, whose work includes designing and offering workshops for schools of various levels, organized two events for two Milanese school classes to interact with the Alberolibro. On the morning of December 3, students from a secondary school on Via Ojetti who are part of the project hung the final volumes on the installation before participating in a workshop created for them. A second workshop took place on January 8: before the installation was dismantled, a class from another secondary school received the first batch of books to be donated to their library and participated in their dedicated workshop.
Culture is sustainable
The materials used in the Alberolibro installation and part of the volumes will be repurposed to create a permanent bookcrossing station in the Milanese district of Villapizzone, home to the Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation. This initiative aims to provide free access to culture for local residents and students from the nearby Politecnico - Bovisa. The donation of books and reuse of materials ensure a zero-waste policy for the future and development of the Alberolibro.
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