Locomotiva in Castello

HISTORY

Built in 1907 by Costruzioni Meccaniche di Saronno, it was destined for the SNFT for passenger transport, just as the railway network in Brescia was expanding rapidly. But it didn’t stop there: it was also used for heavy goods, alongside more powerful locomotives, serving factories, woollen mills, foundries and quarries in the Camonica Valley. It survived two world wars unscathed. It continued working until the 1950s, when the arrival of diesel engines decreed its gradual retirement. On 1 July 1961 it was finally retired. But not forgotten.

It seemed destined to be scrapped, but the Fermodellistico Bresciano Club had other plans.
With the support of Mayor Bruno Boni, their crazy idea took shape: they would take the locomotive up the Cidneo Hill, into the Castle. The SNFT agreed to sell it for a symbolic one lira. But the hard part was still to come: transporting it. This required dismantling the entrance door of the castle, lightening the locomotive by removing the cab, the funnel, a water tank and the cylinder apparatus, shoring up the access bridge and even temporarily removing the iron rosette of the second door. 

On 7 September 1961, the locomotive left the freight yard in Via Dalmatia. Loaded onto a special trailer and pulled by two road tractors, it crossed via Cassala, via Fratelli Ugoni, via Leonardo da Vinci and faced the final ascent towards the castle.

Having navigated the very tight entrance bend, Number 1 made it through. It was reassembled piece by piece. And on 18 September 1961, before the watchful gaze of authorities, journalists and citizens, it was officially inaugurated. It has been there ever since. The locomotive no longer puffs, but she continues to tell her story.

THE CIDNEO LOCOMOTIVE CAN NOW BE DISCOVERED BY TOUCH

The route “The Castle for Everyone – tactile views from the Cidneo” has been enriched with a new visual and tactile panel dedicated to the Cidneo Locomotive No. 1. It is another concrete step towards making Brescia Castle more accessible, more open and closer to everyone who visits it.

The panel, with texts in Italian and English, standard lettering and Braille, allows blind and visually impaired people to discover the history and details of the locomotive. The raised profile of the engine, placed next to a human figure, helps visitors understand its real proportions and dimensions through touch.

The installation is part of the route launched in 2022, promoted by Lions Club Brescia Leonessa Dieci Giornate and Comitato Amici del Cidneo Onlus, created with the Municipality of Brescia and the collaboration of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired. Today, the route includes eight panels, from S. Faustino metro station to the Castle and back towards the city.

This makes the Cidneo Locomotive, already restored and returned to the city’s shared memory, even easier to read. Not just to look at. But to touch, understand and experience.