The Foundation was established in 2009 at the behest of Mrs Anna Maria Stoppani to carry out the wishes of her late husband, lawyer Vittorio Polli, with the aim of continuing overtime, in their memory, the charitable and welfare activities, already implemented by them, and at the same time ensuring sustenance for the beloved Zogno Valley Museum.
(Fondazione Polli Stoppani ONLUS) The purposes of the foundation, in addition to the sustenance of the museum, are aimed primarily at assisting the elderly, women, children, and people in need with particular regard to the area, also financing cultural initiatives to restore the local artistic historical heritage.
The Foundation is headquartered in the building of the same name, the Founders residence in Bergamo at nine via San Giacomo, where, in addition to the institutional and secretarial premises, the office of the presidency and separate spaces equipped to be able to host temporary exhibitions, and/or events in keeping with its constituent purposes, are located.
Last Sunday, June 10, 2012 on the feast of Corpus Christi, our Anna Maria Stoppani, after a prolonged suffering, endured peacefully, joined in the Fathers home her beloved spouse Dr.Vittorio Polli, who had preceded her already for five years.
Now they can enjoy divine gratitude together, for all their good works accomplished during their earthly lives. Our Anna Maria Stoppani was truly a great benefactor, with that way of life of hers by lavishing herself generously for others, especially in the world of suffering and Missions, as well as in the sphere of whatever needs presented themselves for the benefit of the most needy.
She therefore deserved our most sincere gratitude and admiration, even for all those who were not able to express themselves personally, or who have already passed away. The best praise that we must sincerely express for her is undoubtedly the fact that she knew how to live for others in simplicitly and in silence, and without thinking that she could receive even a thank you. It was enough for her to have done good.
But there is God who has always been present to her every good work, who will now reciprocate her behind our limits of gratitude.
“Love conquers death: vita mutatur non tollitur.” Our life has its changes, with respect to our body that has to return to Mother Earth, but the soul that God has placed in us, no one can destroy it, but it remains as our guardian angel, so our Anna Maria continues to leave for us as well with the mission to teach us to leave by her example, to open our hearts to our brothers and sisters in need, if we want the peace that God has brought to the world with his cross.
On the above, faith lives, hope doesnt fail, charity triumphs ! They are the source of peace, lived by our Anna Maria Stoppani. And when I give all my goods in alms and deliver my body to the flames, and have not charity, it would be of no use. For today, we see the Word obscurely, as through a glass, but then we should see it face-to-face, here we know it partially, but then we shall understand it as I also am known.
Three things remain: faith, hope, and charity, but the greatest of all is charity. Some translate charity with love. Charity is an act of love and this is the most precious image we have left of Lolly.
Today (31st July 2007) the funerals of entrepreneur Vittorio Polli art Scholar, he founded the Valley Museum in 1978. A man of deep culture, a lover of his land, the Brembana Valley.
Today at 10:30 a.m. in the parish church, Zogno will pay its last respects to Vittorio Polli, 98, the founder of the Valley Museum. The body was moved on Friday afternoon from the families home on via San Giacomo in Bergamo Alta , where the death occurred, and was composed in the Brembana Museum institutions conference room. Here, until evening, there were numerous visits from dignitaries and men of culture who had had in Vittorio Polli a companion in the vast world of history, art and traditions.
Also, paying their tributes and respects to him, were many Zognesi, particularly elder people, who had worked at the Valle Brembana factory, founded at the beginning of the last century by Paolo Polli. By bringing the body to Zogno – comments monsignor Giulio Gabanelli, who shared Vittorio Pollis Museum adventure for decades – his last wish was fulfilled. Certainly he had wished to end his life in the same house, where he was born 98 years ago, in Zogno, town that he always intensely felt as Zognese deep in his heart, even though the events of life had forced him to other residences, most recently the one in Via San Giacomo, designed by Isabello and expertly restored by him to its ancient splendor, serenely shared with his wife, Mrs Anna Maria Stoppani.
It was in fact in Zogno, in a seventeenth-century palazzetto on via Furietti, formerly owned by Cardinal Furietti and then by the family of the Garibaldian Pietro Volpi, who would have him play as a child in the houses garden, that from the marriage of Paolo Polli and Franca Trezzi on December 21, 1908, Vittorio was born, the third of four children ( the others are Vincenzo, Angioletta and Mariuccia)
Sharing this child with peers in the village, even in the mischief he always had among his happiest memories. Not as happy, he who deeply loved freedom with recall, were the years he spent in boarding school, a period it would describe as very dark. Vittorio attended the Sarpi high school, and then the Catholic University of Milan, where he acquired a doctorate in law which he perfected at the Sorbonne in Paris, and then in London, learning French and English to perfection. Never forgetting, however, the Bergamasco language that he considers his true language, the language of the heart, in which he loves to express himself, whenever he can. It was during this years that he became acquainted with the priest of Zogno, don Enrico Mangili, known by the pseudonym P. Tosino, a throughbred scholar who initiated him into a love of history, art and traditions. Young Vittorio Polli would later refine these passions by associating with gold medalist Antonio Locatelli, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, whose brother-in-law he would become, and Luigi and Sandro Angelini. In April 1939 he married, Anna Maria Stoppani of the Stoppani Family, founder of the eponymous colour factory in Sarnico. War looms,
Vittorio Polli is called to arms and as a cavalry officer he is engaged until 1943 on the Slavic front in Gorizia. He managed to escape capture that would lead to his deportation to Germany and repaired to Sarnico. Once the war period was over, Polli, who was already working in his fathers business, became its own entrepreneur. However, a passion for culture prevails in him and he matures his intention to found the Museum of the Valley to be located in his birthplace. It was inaugurated in 1978, and in 1980 to the museum was awarded the prestigious Museum of the year award in Stockholm, a living Museum, of which Vittorio Polli wanted young people to be the protagonists in order to make them aware of the past through visits, with school courses, lectures and publications.
Vittorio Polli, Monsignor Gabanelli still observes, made people rediscover the past, made the younger generations rediscover their roots and their history, their Bergamaschiness of which he was always very proud.
