Diritto d'autore: la ex scuola elementare di Sala a Calolziocorte (1969-1972)

The author retraces the process that led to the recognition of copyright protection (Law 633/1941) for the former elementary school in Sala, Calolziocorte (Province of Lecco), a paradigmatic work by the group of Bergamo-based architects Walter Barbero, Baran Ciagà, Giuseppe Gambirasio, and Giorgio Zenoni. A key prerequisite for this recognition was the building’s inclusion in the National Census of Italian Architecture from 1945 to the Present. This is a noteworthy case involving the designers and their heirs, the Office for the Protection of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Como, Lecco, Monza Brianza, Pavia, and Sondrio, as well as the local community, which launched a public petition to prevent the building’s potential demolition. In collaboration with the municipal administration, a preliminary feasibility study was also drafted for the adaptive reuse of the school as a social housing facility for vulnerable individuals. The author conducted historical research, drawing on bibliographic and archival sources, in support of the application for copyright recognition. In the context of 1960s and 1970s school architecture, the study highlighted the original spatial and typological qualities of the Sala elementary school. The school complex stands as a valuable example of Italian architecture from the second half of the 20th century, and as one of the most significant works by a prominent group of post-war Italian architects. It is representative of a broader body of architectural research that intersects with both national and international architectural culture, notable for its originality and high quality.