At various times during his working years, Vivi Papi photographed the works of Giovanni Battista Ronchelli (Castello Cabiaglio, Varese 1715-1788) on commission for a variety of clients.
Between 1988 and 1989, a committee for the valorization of the local artist's works, constituted in Castello Cabiaglio, commissioned him to carry out a campaign to document all the works still existing in the territory between Lombardy, Piedmont and Canton Ticino, with the aim of realizing a book.
When the committee, for various reasons, ended its activities the work (all on color slides in sizes from 24x36 to 10x12 cm), which was nearly completed, was interrupted and all the images remained the property of the photographer who kept them in his archive.
Some of the images were later used for other publications, such as:
Giovanni Battista Ronchelli pittore lombardo del ‘700 rivisto nella sua terra natale (Giovanni Battista Ronchelli Lombard painter of the 18th century revisited in his homeland), texts by Cristina Parravicini and photographs by Vivi Papi, exhibition catalog (Castello Cabiaglio, July 24-October 9, 1994), Castello Cabiaglio, Comune, 1994.
I teleri di San Giuliano e l’opera del Ronchelli (The Canvases of San Giuliano and the works of Ronchelli), edited by Cristina Parravicini, Mario Perotti, Vincenzo Villa, Gozzano, Parrocchia collegiata di S. Giuliano, Parrocchia di S. Appiano, print 1993.
The archive thus houses images of the artist’s works photographed in the following locations:
- Azzate (VA): villa Bossi-Zampolli (private property)
- Azzio (VA): church of Saints Antonio of Padua and Eusebius
- Bellinzona (CH): oratory of S. Marta
- Casale Monferrato (AL): Cathedral, chapel of S. Evasio
- Casalzuigno (VA): villa Della Porta Bozzolo (now Fondo Ambiente Italiano - FAI property), small temple with Apollo and Daphne photographed in 1989 and 1994, at the end of restoration
- Castello Cabiaglio (VA): church of S. Appiano, exterior and interior
- Como: Giovio Civic Museum, wedding hall
- Gozzano (NO): S. Giuliano church, “canvases” photographed in 1988 and 1993 at the end of restorations
- Marchirolo (VA): church of S. Martino
- Montesolaro (Carimate - CO): villa Radice-Fossati (private property)
- Pavia: church of S. Felice
- Reggio Emilia: Panizzi Municipal Library, Davoli Collection "Engraving"
- San Fiorano (LO): Mortorino, via Crucis photographed in 1994
Varese:
- church of St. Anthony alla Motta, vault with Glory of St. Anthony
- church of S. Giuseppe, cycle of the Life of St. Joseph in 1988 and in 1994 at the end of restoration work
- church of S. Vittore, Martyrdom of St. Catherine, St. Victor on horseback
- former Liceo Musicale, cycle of mythological frescoes taken from Alemagna house
- City Museums, "two paintings"
- Palazzo Estense Allegory of Peace, in 1988 and in 1994, Venus and Cupid
- villa Recalcati, prefecture wing, Historic scenes and frescoed vault
- villa San Pedrino (private property), Allegory of Peace
- villa Recalcati, provincial administration wing, Exodus cycle
Vercelli: cathedral, chapel of S. Onorato
Also:
Nativity and Adoration of the Magi (privately owned paintings)