Metamorphosis of a valley- The hydroelectric exploitation of the river Maggia

The Maggia hydroelectric power plants are among the largest in Switzerland and the most important in the Canton of Ticino. Built between 1950 and 1968 by the company Officine Idroelettriche della Maggia (OFIMA), they range in elevation from 200 metres a.s.l. on Lake Maggiore to 2386 metres a.s.l. on Lake Gries in the upper Valais with pipelines running for more than 60 kilometres and an elevation drop of just under 2,200 metres. With eight reservoirs, approx. 140 kilometres of tunnels and seven power stations (with a total installed capacity of 600 MW), the Maggia power plants generate an average annual energy output of 1,265 GWh, serving the needs of more than one million inhabitants.

Once an economy reliant almost exclusively on agriculture, livestock farming and transhumance (the seasonal migration of livestock between lowland and mountain pastures), when construction work began, the Vallemaggia went from being an archaic inward-looking valley to becoming a large building site with thousands of workers. This triggered mixed feelings among the residents from the outset: some feared excessive disruption to local life, while others viewed the construction projects as a valuable source of employment, offering secure jobs that would dissuade young people from leaving the valley in search of an easier and more comfortable life elsewhere.

After all these years, the Museum of Valmaggia felt the need to commemorate this extraordinary, momentous event in the valley’s history—a multifaceted period that changed the fate of an entire region, its people, its traditions and its economy. The consequences for such a remote area would inevitably be extensive and complex, comparable only to the arrival of the railway in the Leventina Valley. Without the work that was carried out back then, the Vallemaggia would not be what it is today. As well as retracing the initial struggles, the environmental issues, the sacrifices imposed on the local population and thedistress caused by the tragedies suffered, the exhibition aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Herculean efforts undertaken to implement a bold and ingenious idea born from the farsightedness of the project’s promoters, and to showcase the extraordinary changes that took place, which have provided significant benefits to the local communities, achieving a positive overall outcome.

As a result of the impeccable renovation and maintenance work carried out since their construction more than 75 years ago, the Maggia power plants continue to be a major source of power for the community.