Emilia Morosini and Tadeusz Kosciuszko 2025 edit-a-thon

Emilia Morosini and Tadeusz Kościuszko 2025 edit-a-thon

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The Heart in Exile – Emilia Zeltner Morosini as a bridge between Kościuszko and the Risorgimento

This project combines a cultural editathon with the historical legacy of Emilia Zeltner Morosini (1804–1875), a Swiss patriot, patron, and central figure of 19th-century intellectual and political life.

Through her role as custodian of Tadeusz Kościuszko’s heart at Villa Negroni in Vezia (Ticino), Emilia embodied the ideals of liberty and solidarity that connected Poland’s struggle for independence with the Italian Risorgimento.

The edit-a-thon, taking place between 6 and 20 November 2025, will gather Wikipedians, historians, and cultural partners from Switzerland, Italy, and Poland — both online and in person. Participants will create and expand content on Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and Wikipedia about Emilia Morosini, her family, Kościuszko’s symbolic presence in Ticino, and the broader networks of the Risorgimento.

Villa Negroni, once a hub for exiles, patriots, and artists, became a meeting place for figures such as Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito, and Francesco Hayez.

It also housed the mausoleum where Kościuszko’s heart was preserved alongside the tombs of Emilio Morosini, Enrico Dandolo, and Luciano Manara—martyrs of Italian independence.

This intersection of Polish and Italian memory highlights Emilia’s role as a cultural bridge across nations.

By digitizing archival materials, expanding multilingual articles, and engaging volunteers through collaborative events, the project will safeguard and disseminate this shared heritage.

The initiative underscores Wikimedia’s mission to connect communities through open knowledge, while celebrating the enduring values of freedom, democracy, and cultural solidarity.

Background

Emilia Zeltner Morosini (1804–1875) was born in Solothurn, daughter of Franz Xaver Zeltner, a prominent Swiss magistrate. In 1819 she married Giovanni Battista Morosini and moved to Villa Negroni in Vezia (Ticino). The villa soon became a hub for exiles, patriots, and artists, and played a crucial role in the cultural life of 19th-century Switzerland and Northern Italy.

A symbolic connection with Poland defined her legacy: the heart of national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko was entrusted to the Zeltner family and preserved at Villa Negroni. This responsibility made Emilia the custodian of a transnational memory that linked the Polish struggle for independence with the Italian Risorgimento and the civic culture of Switzerland.

Her family was deeply engaged in the Risorgimento:

Her son Emilio Morosini fell during the 1848 uprising in Milan, fighting alongside Enrico Dandolo and Luciano Manara, becoming a martyr of Italian independence.
Her daughters Giuseppina and Carolina supported patriots by assisting the wounded.
Villa Negroni became a cultural salon, visited by figures such as Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito, and Francesco Hayez, while also monitored by Austrian authorities for its patriotic sympathies.

The mausoleum at Villa Negroni, where Kościuszko’s heart was kept together with the graves of young Risorgimento martyrs, symbolizes this extraordinary intersection of Polish, Swiss, and Italian history.

The upcoming editathon (November 8–9, 2025) directly connects to this heritage: it will take place at Villa Negroni, in the very space where these memories are rooted, and will engage communities from Switzerland, Italy, and Poland in rediscovering and documenting this shared history on Wikimedia projects. By combining digital tools with historical research, the editathon will transform Emilia’s legacy into living knowledge accessible worldwide.

Online event

In parallel with the in-person gathering at Villa Negroni, several online edit-a-thon groups will collaborate remotely from different countries. These groups will work independently over a period that they define — typically between early and mid-November 2025 — contributing to Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons.

Participating communities currently include:

a group in Poland, focusing on Kościuszko’s legacy and Polish exiles in Switzerland;
a group in Italy, coordinated during the ItWikiCon in Catania;
a WikiDonne group in Rome, working on the Morosini family and women’s correspondence;
a Latin American group with OKA.wiki, exploring transnational memory and translation of biographies.

All online participants are invited to share their progress on the project page and join the collective documentation effort that connects Poland, Italy, Switzerland, and the wider Wikimedia movement.

Event in presence

The event at Villa Negroni (Vezia, Lugano) will take place in person and is open to anyone interested in participating — from Wikimedians and historians to students and newcomers.

Participants joining the edit-a-thon on 8 November may request travel and accommodation support from Wikimedia CH.

Saturday, 8 November

Morning and afternoon – Edit-a-thon on Wikipedia and Wikidata focused on Emilia Morosini, Tadeusz Kościuszko, and the shared history of Poland, Switzerland, and Italy.
Participation is free and open throughout the day, with a light buffet lunch available.

Sunday, 9 November

Until 10:00 – Optional continuation of the edit-a-thon for those wishing to finalize their contributions.
10:00 – Mini-conference with Marika Congestrì (researcher of Emilia Morosini) and Stefano Anelli (Archivio di Stato), accompanied by 19th-century music.
Lunch – Buffet with traditional Polish desserts.
Afternoon – Informal meeting with the Polish community in Ticino, in the context of the upcoming Polish Independence Day (11 November).

Goals

Preservation: Digitize and restore historical documents, letters, photographs, and paintings connected to Emilia Zeltner Morosini and her networks.
Enrichment: Expand and improve Wikipedia entries related to Emilia Morosini, her family, Villa Negroni, and the historical ties between Switzerland, Poland, and Italy.
Engagement: Organize editathons and public events (e.g., November 2025 at Villa Negroni) to involve communities in Switzerland, Italy, and Poland.
Innovation: Apply artificial intelligence (AI) tools for metadata generation, multilingual descriptions, and historical contextualization

Partners

Wikimedia CH Logo
Wikimedia Polska Logo
Wikimedia Italia Logo
Wikidonne