The artist’s grandfather, and father of Genovefa Müller-Lombardi. He was the son of Giuseppe Lombardi, and was born in Airolo on 12 July 1791 and died in Airolo on 20 June 1863, and was married to Carolina Guidici in 1829, the daughter of Cipriano Giudici.
A small pen drawing by Muller-Ury of his grandfather’s house in Airolo in Canton Ticino (‘Casa Materna’).
He started his career as an apprentice to a tailor in Milan, became a postilion in the St. Gotthard route, and in 1828 he obtained the monopoly for ten years on the production of beer in the Ticino. From 1834-1839 he was deputy of the Grand Council of the Ticino. In 1841 he was granted the head of the St Gotthard Hospice by the council of state and travelled all over Europe, including London, raising funds. He lived in a large house in Airolo which still stands though altered apparently. His son, also called Felice Lombardi, the artist’s maternal uncle, inherited his role as Director of the Hospice and the family continued to run this until 1972 when it became a museum. Lombardi relatives still live in Airolo today.
Bibliography:
M. Oechslin, ‘Felix Lombardi, 1791-1863, und das Gotthard-Hospiz,’ in Der Gotthard, 10, 1967, 6-7, 69-72.
F. Ammann, Schweizer Gastgeberfamilien, 20, 1982.
M. Fransioli, Il San Gottardo e i suoi ospizi, 1982, 31.
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Painted posthumously in 1881, presumably from a photograph of his grandfather.
