THE "REGINA ELENA" KINDERGARTEN

It was inaugurated in 1905 with the mayor Ciro Mavarelli

by Amedeo Massetti

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A room used as a kindergarten already existed in Umbertide in the nineteenth century. In 1904 the municipal council had confirmed Maddalena and Marina Mavarelli (wife of Francesco Mavarelli) in the supervisory commission on this institution.

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In the council meeting of February 12, 1905, the report by the design engineer and director, Gustavo Scagnetti, on the conclusion of the construction works of the new kindergarten building was read. Mayor Ciro Mavarelli communicated to the municipal council (Vittorio Ramaccioni, Giacomino dal Bianco, Tertulliano Marzani, Avenerio Natali, Gustavo Scagnetti, Romolo Fabbri, Astorre Ramaccioni, Giuseppe Conestabile Della Staffa, Cesare Torzoni, Giovanni Ramaccioni, Giovan Battista Burelli, Stanislao Simoncini, Aristide Reggiani, Antonio Gnoni and Geremia Carlani) the final state of the works, to be paid in 20,422.96 lire. The councilor Cesare Torzoni intervened, recalling how the construction of the new building had been entrusted by private negotiation to the Cooperative of the Masons of Umbertide for the sum of 16,900 lire as a flat rate and now this significant increase could not be explained.

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Engineer Scagnetti, who was also a municipal councilor, clarified that the increase in expenditure was due to the fact that the Provincial Health Council had imposed changes to the project, which had to be carried out while the works were being carried out. These consisted in raising the classrooms, modifying the floors and replacing the designed perimeter wall with an iron balustrade, so as not to impede the illumination of the classrooms. In addition to this, the new building had to be adapted to the master plan, which the engineer did not know before compiling the project but which the previous administration had wanted to respect; this had led to a notable increase in the length of the surrounding walls. Then there was the increased depth of the foundations, the completion of the bathroom and the kitchens on the ground floor, works that were only foreseen in the project in later times. The council took note of Scagnetti's report, approved it with the changes that had taken place and instructed the council to provide for the related obligations.

The new kindergarten was named after Queen Elena of Montenegro, wife of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy, king of Italy

It was inaugurated in October 1905 by the mayor Ciro Mavarelli. A commemorative postcard was printed for the occasion.

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PHOTO:

Historical photographic archive of the Municipality of Umbertide, Giuseppe Severi Archive, Fabio Mariotti

SOURCES:

Historical archive of the Municipality of Umbertide