Casa Carigiet
The reconstruction of the fire-damaged house where Alois and Zarli Carigiet were born
The listed, stately former residence dating back to 1769 is being restored in several construction phases. It is dedicated to the famous sons of Trun, the painter and children’s book illustrator Alois Carigiet (1902-1985) and his brother, the cabaret artist and actor Zarli Carigiet (1907-1981).
The ruins are currently being renovated and are therefore not open to the public.
The Carigiet universe
Thanks to the generous gesture of a private patron, Trun Cultura has a 99-year building lease on the property. It is to be rebuilt and transformed into a cultural center.
The themes of this new cultural institution are primarily determined by the “Carigiet universe” or “the Carigiet universes”. The programmatic orientation of CASA CARIGIET thus oscillates between a museum that preserves and conveys memories and cultural assets, and a place for a lively examination of the past, present and future in Trun and the world.
The fire in 2019
Due to the total destruction of the upper floors as a result of a fire in February 2019 and the ingress of extinguishing water, a massive intervention in the original historical building fabric is necessary.
In the sense of “luck in misfortune”, this opens up the opportunity to replace the destroyed parts of the building with a modern design in line with their new purpose. This visible interplay of historical and contemporary architecture lends immediate visibility to the basic idea of the new CASA CARIGIET cultural center: to build bridges between past and present.
Casa Carigiet from the perspective of monument preservation
The CASA CARIGIET is of multi-layered relevance from a heritage conservation perspective. It plays an important role within the townscape of Trun. Not only in the ensemble with the church and the surrounding buildings, such as the historically significant Cuort Ligia Grischa, but also due to its prominent location at the western entrance to the village. Casa Carigiet has therefore been awarded the highest protection rating in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Sites of National Importance (ISOS). The house is also highly relevant in terms of social history. Built in 1769 by the influential Casanova family and later the birthplace of the nationally successful artists Alois and Zarli Carigiet, it impressively reflects the history of the use of a stately baroque residence. The planned measures support this relevance and continue the story after the catastrophic fire.
The first construction phase 2023/24
This first important phase began in summer 2023 and was completed by the end of February 2024, with the exception of the cold extension. On December 6, 2023, the emergency roof collapsed under the weight of the snow along with the scaffolding. Fortunately, no people were injured and the third-party damage was also modest.
The building is now protected from the elements with a concrete crown and the wooden roof mounted on top. The façade plaster had to be removed as a result of the damage caused by the water, giving the building a completely new appearance.
The second construction phase from 2024
The clear-out work at CASA CARIGIET has been completed.
Our aim is to be able to open the house to the public for the first time next year and to show works by Alois Carigiet from the heirs’ family estate in an initial exhibition.
The condition of the ruins requires flexible planning. The next stage of construction will be completed over the course of the winter. This process will remain exciting until the end and we are delighted that the new CASA CARIGIET is taking shape.
Drawings: Remo Derungs, gasser,derungs
