April 24- June 19, 2026
Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago
Visits: Monday-Friday, 10am-4:30pm or by appointment
Opening event: Friday, April 24th at 6-8pm
The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago presents Enrico Fermi: Chicago Years, an exhibition dedicated to the life and research of the Italian physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize and creator of the first artificial nuclear reactor, the Chicago-Pile 1.
The exhibition retraces the remarkable human and scientific journey of Enrico Fermi, a key figure who bridged Italy and the United States at the heart of the twentieth century. From his education in Rome and Pisa to his emigration to the United States following the racial laws of 1938, Fermi’s path tells the story of one of the century’s greatest physicists. Through archival images from his years in Chicago, the exhibition documents his pioneering research on neutrons, the first controlled nuclear chain reaction, and his contribution to the Manhattan Project, offering insight into discoveries that profoundly shaped the scientific and political history of the modern world.
The exhibition will open to the public on Friday, April 24th with a cocktail reception at 6-8pm.
Please RSVP using the registration form on this page.
Free and open to the public. For groups or after-hour visits, email iicchicago@esteri.it
This initiative is part of America 250, the nationwide commemoration marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. America 250 aims to reflect on the nation’s past, celebrate its present, and inspire its future through inclusive and meaningful programs. Within this framework, this initiative seeks to enhance and showcase the partnership between Italy and the United States in all its dimensions, while highlighting the significant role Italians have played in the founding of the American nation and in its historical development. By exploring these historical and cultural connections, the project promotes greater understanding, dialogue, and appreciation of the enduring ties between the two countries.
Photo © University of Chicago Photographic Archive, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
It is not possible to make multiple reservations with the same email address.
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