From 1 May to 10 September, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. - "Isola d'Oro" (until 20/05 the exhibition closes at 18.00 hrs. )
What did the most popular seaside resort of the Monarchy look like? Where did tourists stay and how did they spend their holidays in Grado at the end of the 19th century? On the occasion of the "Grado 130 years", this exhibition wants to retrace the first years of tourism on the " Sunny Island" (about 1892-1914). The sending of postcards, which was very popular at the time, has now enabled the curators Johanna and Michael Atzenhofer to select the most significant images, mainly from private archives, to catalogue them and thus reconstruct a unique journey through the Grado of that time: from the boat crossing from Aquileia/Belvedere to the island to the arrival in the port, from the exploration of the old town centre to the excursions in the lagoon, passing through the moments of relaxation and fun on the beach and in the town centre. Since the story of Grado and of many famous people who made an important contribution to its rise, including J.M. Auchentaller and his family, has already been told in countless books, this exhibition intends to express itself exclusively through visual communication.
It starts with a tour of Grado: the large map relates the postcards to their respective locations, both in terms of town planning and tourism, and highlights their differences from today. Postcards and rare finds, such as the first impressions from 1870, are illustrated in the circular exhibition areas. A video installation, information about the history of the postcard and books about Grado complete the exhibition.
"In the exhibition "A greeting from Grado" we are immersed in a past Grado as seen through the eyes of visitors of that time. There are many differences to discover but some things have never changed." - Johanna and Michael Atzenhofer, the curators.