“Bread and culture” was the slogan of one of Milan’s most popular mayors, Antonio Greppi, a socialist, which gave a strategic sense to the commitment to the rebirth of the city and of Italy after the disasters of war and fascism: the rapid reopening of the bombed-out Scala, the reopening of factories, the reconstruction of houses and public services, the new course of free information and publishing, a horizon of enterprise and work.

“Culture is bread” is the phrase that today stands at the entrance to the library of the Pirelli headquarters in Bicocca, to commemorate the commitment linked to the opening of the Pirelli Cultural Center in 1947, in those dynamic years full of hope. The Centre’s aim was to move beyond the horizon of ruins with activities of literature, theatre, music and photography. In this way, by supporting culture, the company defined itself not only as an economic player, but also as a civic and social player.

These two words, bread and culture, i.e. work and knowledge, well-being and learning, enterprise and development, come to mind when one considers the construction of the “Library of Light”, the large installation by the British artist Es Devlin in the Cortile d’onore of the Pinacoteca di Brera, with its 2,000 books on illuminated circular shelves in front of the statue of Maria Gaetana Agnesi, an 18th century mathematician and philosopher, the first woman to write a book on mathematics and the first to hold a university chair in the subject. The “Library of Light” is one of three installations (the others by Bob Wilson and Paolo Sorrentino) that will be on display during Design Week and the Salone del Mobile from 7 April. And here, too, business and culture, creativity and industrial production, the memory of “know-how” and innovation come together to form original syntheses, in the name of a true “polytechnic culture” that continues to combine humanistic and scientific knowledge, the sense of beauty and cutting-edge technologies. A very Italian perspective on the world that we can be proud of.

Bread and culture again today, in a contemporary dimension with historical awareness but looking to the future. Once again, the metropolis that exemplifies this perspective is Milan. Milan, city of books, stories, publications, cultured words, civilisation of dialogue between different tensions and opinions: “The power of ideas/the ideas of power” is the theme of BookCity Milano 2025. There are discussions on ongoing geopolitical and ethical crises, reflections on history and the future.

If we broaden our focus to the positive aspects that, despite everything, characterise our restless and troubled times, we find solid connotations of cultural practices and values in the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom 2025, which measures economic freedom in 184 countries each year. “A common thread links the degree of economic freedom and the well-being of citizens,” comments Alessandro De Nicola (La Repubblica/Affari & Finanza, 24 March), who is well aware of the strong links between the quality of life and work and economic freedom, cultural freedom and freedom of scientific research.

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank, but it is widely respected for the rigor of its research. And in this Freedom Index, he emphasises that countries with “free” or “mostly free” economies have both higher standards of living and a significantly better quality of life than is usual in “repressed” economies. There is a clear relationship between economic freedom, political freedom and the rule of law. And therefore also between cultural freedoms and social and civil progress.

A clear conclusion can be drawn from this: books and freedom go hand in hand, freedom of ideas and economic development have a very close correlation. Nevertheless, the economy of knowledge and beauty and the awareness of the values of art and beauty must be considered as assets for the competitiveness of our economy. We must insist with conviction on the links between cultural heritage and sustainable, ecological and social development. Between critical thinking and creativity and between civil conscience and cultural wealth. It is a perspective that goes against the current temptations of “presentism”, of a distracted gaze on the flow of words and (increasingly fake) images on social media to which we devote only a few seconds of attention. It is against the degradation of words and “public discourse”.

It is a strong thesis, also supported by the words of Francesco Profumo, former Minister of Education and former president of the Compagnia di San Paolo: “In a world where artificial intelligence writes articles, diagnoses diseases and drives cars, critical thinking will be the only antidote to passive use of technology. If science gives us the tools to understand the world, art helps us imagine a new one.” And when it comes to “Steam” (the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with the addition of the “a” for art), “it means recognising that innovation is born when science and creativity meet” (La Stampa, 30 March).

And so we return to the idea of the processes of knowledge and therefore to books and their being the “bread” of civilisation.

Our Constitution is a testament to this, and these ideas are clearly at the forefront. “Living words,” says Marta Cartabia, a constitutionalist of great rigour, vice-rector for social commitment and institutional affairs at Bocconi University in Milan (Corriere della Sera, 24 March). What are these living words? “Democracy and inviolable rights, human dignity, solidarity, equality, freedom, participation, work, development, health, the environment, future generations…”, says Cartabia. To which the provisions of the Constitution are linked, a barrier and a stimulus for all legislation. A reading of the values of our society, but also a strategy for the future.  Freedoms proclaimed, but to be put into practice with consistency and perseverance.

Indeed, Marta Cartabia stresses: “Equality and solidarity, human dignity and freedom, and all the other great words of the Constitution must be lived, exercised, put into practice, discovered and rediscovered and, above all,  practised every day, or risk being reduced to sterile rhetoric.”

This path also brings us back to social and civil values, Italian  and European. Lest we forget what characterises Europe in its historical dimension and current state: the ability to combine civil rights and responsibilities, liberal democracy and democratic capitalism, incentives for individual enterprise and social and community values, economic growth and widespread prosperity. This is what makes us Europeans proud of what we have done in peace, after long and controversial periods of war and conflict and what makes us hateful in the eyes of those who are hostile to us.

A useful book on this subject is “Moniti all’Europa” (Warnings to Europe) by Thomas Mann, political and civil essays written between 1922 and 1945 (a new edition was published by Mondadori in 2017, with a foreword by the President Emeritus of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano”). It points to a common destiny after the Nazi tragedy. The commitment to assert the power of reason and dialogue. And, in this essential reading, the relationship between democracy and culture.

(photo Getty Images)

Newly published account of one of the key aspects of the country’s economic development

Human ingenuity and technology, but also energy. The development of the industry depends on these factors, which need to be fully understood,  including their interdependencies. This is why “Super! Un secolo di energia in Italia” (A century of energy in Italy) written with great skill by Alessandro Lanza and just published is such a good read.

Lanza’s account of energy and its importance to Italian industry is based on an observation: energy has been the driving force behind modern Italy, shaping its economic and political course.  Understanding the evolution of this fundamental element of the economy and of progress is indeed important for understanding the evolution of the industrial system, its culture of production and its prospects for the future.

Lanza tells the story of energy in Italy, from the first oil explorations to the rise of the major national companies, through the nationalisations of the 1960s and the market crises. All this in the context of how the energy sector has been intertwined with international equilibrim, even helping to define our development model.

‘Super!’ traces a century of profound changes, explaining how Italy went from being totally dependent on imports to playing a key role in global strategies.

But Alessandro Lanza’s book goes even further. Readers will discover the key moments in a history that has seen the ambitious visions of leading figures, the nationalisation of electricity, the oil shocks, the privatisations of the 1990s and then the long transition to a liberalised market. There is no shortage of analysis of current events that looks at climate change, new energy alliances, the increasingly central role of renewables and the race to decarbonise.

Reading Alessandro Lanza’s book is a useful exercise for those who want to better understand one of the crucial aspects of economic development, both yesterday and today.

Super! Un secolo di energia in Italia

Alessandro Lanza

Luiss University press, 2025

A collection of research on change in companies outlines a path that is valid for all organisations in the manufacturing sector

Change to keep growing (and growing better). Important guidance for all production organisations, especially today. As always, this is a question of people before procedures, but they themselves must be flexible and willing to change. This is the premise of the just published collection of research findings in “Strategie di resilienza in operations management. Casi aziendali ed esperienze di eccellenza” (Business cases and experiences of excellence. Resilience strategies in operations management) by Pietro de Giovanni.

De Giovanni’s study is based on an observation: In an increasingly complex global arena, organisations need to radically rethink their resilience strategies in order to survive and thrive. But how? De Giovanni’s answer comes not from theory, but from observing a number of business examples: FERCAM, Fincantieri, Prologis, Fedrigoni, Brembo, Prysmian, Hilti. Each story, analysed and explored in depth, shows how and to what extent the company was able to turn disruptive events into growth opportunities. What emerges is how technological innovation, sustainability, and organizational agility have become critical components of modern resilience.

As already mentioned, it is not theory but the observation of business practice that forms the backbone of de Giovanni’s research, which is carried out through case studies and the testimonies of their leaders. The analysis of the events and the collected stories lead the reader along a path that shows how companies can design flexible and networked logistics architectures; apply predictive systems based on artificial intelligence; develop collaborative relationships with suppliers and stakeholders; integrate circular economy practices; transform disruption into strategic opportunities.

Each study is based on an individual business experience and, when read in conjunction with the others, provides an overall vision that would otherwise be impossible.

Strategie di resilienza in operations management. Casi aziendali ed esperienze di eccellenza

Pietro de Giovanni

Egea Bocconi, 2025

“Democracy is not a final conquest, it must be constantly realised, lived, consolidated and interpreted”. And “Freedom is like air: you only realise how much it is worth when it becomes scarce.”

In these difficult and controversial times, in the face of the negative tendencies towards banality and vulgarity, and the growing resentment of democracy, it is worth rereading some of the greatest pages of our political literature. For example, the speech given by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, in April 2015 to the young winners of the “From resistance to active citizenship” competition. And Piero Calamandrei‘s speech on the Constitution in 1955, with its key passage: “It’s so beautiful, it’s so simple: there is freedom. We live in a free society and there are other things to worry about than politics. Of course I know that. The world is so beautiful, there are so many beautiful things to see, to enjoy, instead of worrying about politics. Politics is no fun.

However, Calamandrei continues, “freedom is like air: you only realise how much it is worth when it becomes scarce, when you know the suffocating sensation that my generation has known for twenty years and that I hope you, young people, will never know.

The conclusion is exemplary, for future reference: “I hope that you will never know such agony, because I hope that you will create the conditions that prevent such agony from ever happening: always remembering the need to watch over freedom, and making your own contribution to political life”.

Since the end of the Second World War, which ended with the defeat of Nazism and Fascism, we have experienced eighty years of peace in Europe, marked by the expansion of that wonderful synthesis between liberal democracy, the market economy and the welfare state, that is, between freedom, enterprise, well-being and social cohesion (all of which we have taken for granted). The implosion of the Soviet empire, due to its profound political, economic and social limitations, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, has comforted the idea – or rather the illusion – of a radical success of the West, its cultures and its values, to the point of fueling the arrogant and deceptive idea of “exporting democracy”.

But history has by no means “ended” with the “victory” of the West, despite the predictions of even a brilliant political scientist like Francis Fukuyama. Far from it. And today we are faced with the shocking disruption of traditional geopolitical balances and the assertion of the primacy of the values and interests of major international players (China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, the diverse Arab world, waiting for the new power to emerge from Africa), while the political and cultural changes taking place in Washington are forcing us to rethink the role of the United States, which is usually perceived as the cornerstone of Western democracy.

In a nutshell, the new season seems to be marked by the growing sphere of autocracies, and liberal democracy is faltering. There is a feeling of being held hostage by the outside (the war in Ukraine is an exemplary example of this). And there is also a feeling of creaking inside. In fact, there is a growing dissatisfaction with participation in political life and voting, a fundamental moment in the construction of the “popular will” (one of Calamandrei’s fears). There is growing indifference, or worse, intolerance, towards some of the pillars of democracy: the separation of powers between the branches of government, the autonomy of the judiciary, freedom of the press, the value of critical thinking, the sanctity of pluralism of thought.

It is the age of populism, selfish sovereignty, intolerance of diversity, resentment of scientific research and the complexity of intellectual work. The spread of social media, with its poor game of “likes” that impoverishes thoughts and words, is exacerbating the crisis.

This is why it is necessary to return to critical thinking, to create new dialectical spaces for international relations, which are necessary in any case, in order to defend and revive the “breath of freedom”. And to talk about politics, to study history, law and economics, to reflect on our values and the foundations of democracy. Which go beyond a simple electoral vote. And the crushing of social and political life in the parody of an “all in” poker hand, where whoever wins the electoral round becomes the absolute master of the entire democratic scenario.

So, read and discuss. Let us focus our attention on the words of the “Fathers of the Constitution”, the product of a synthesis of the best movements of Italian political thought, Catholic, liberal, socialist and communist, linked to the values of parliamentary democracy (the Acts of the Constituent Assembly are brilliant testimony to this). Revisiting the European authors of liberal and democratic thought (including the three signatories of the “Ventotene Manifesto”, Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi and Eugenio Colorni). Reflecting on the relationship between freedom and responsibility, history and future, recalling Aldo Moro’s lesson on the “new season of duties” necessary for the renewal of Italian democracy (he was killed by the Red Brigades and also on the orders of powers that have not yet been clearly identified by the judiciary, specifically to prevent that renewal).

To do this, we need to focus our attention on an indispensable book, “Vi auguro la democrazia” (I wish you democracy), a collection of speeches by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella recently published by De Agostini (with a preface by Corrado Augias) and aimed at the younger generations, from which we took the initial quote of this blog. Mattarella writes: “Democracy is not a final conquest, it must be constantly realised, lived, consolidated and interpreted, because times change, forms of communication change. Democracy must be implemented every time, at all times, so that it is authentic in its values, in the ways that change from season to season. It lives because it is applied and implemented. Always created, in changing times and under changing conditions, respecting its values”.

Democracy in motion. To live and let live. Culture to be explored further. The defence of memory (a fundamental commitment at a time when, regardless of the facts, there are powers and powerful people who theorise “alternative truths” and present “factoids” as facts on social media). Responsibly building a future. And knowledge on which to base choices and behaviour.

Including legal and institutional knowledge. As illustrated in the pages of “I presidenti della Repubblica e le crisi di governo – Cinquant’anni di storia italiana 1971- 2021” (The Presidents of the Republic and the Government Crises – Fifty Years of Italian History 1971-2021), a collection of essays edited by Stefano Sepe and Oriana Giacalone, published by Editoriale Scientifica in the series of the Institute of Political Studies “S. Pio V”. Acute and wise reflections. With a fundamental reference to the doctrine of Costantino Mortati (one of the “founding fathers”, teacher of constitutional law to generations of lawyers since the 1950s) on the “moderating power” of the President of the Republic in the formation of governments after elections and in the resolution of governmental crises: the role of the tenant of the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, the Quirinale, is to “ensure that the direction of the people corresponds to that of the representative bodies and to that of the latter among themselves, in order to maintain constant harmony”. Democracy as plurality. Balance of power. Checks and balances. The complete opposite of “one man in command”. Our democracy must continue to live and grow.

(photo Getty Images)

A collection of short stories about “entrepreneurial ordinariness” has just been published

Stories of business people to help better understand business. This is a method that has been tried and tested for some time now, but which proves its worth every time new stories are added to those already told. And this is the case for “Ordinary leadership. La fenomenologia della leadership attraverso il potere di storie quotidiane” (The phenomenology of leadership through the power of everyday stories), a book written by Dario Bussolin and Azzurra Maria Sorbi (he is an occupational psychologist and she is an expert in human relations), who have collected nine stories of entrepreneurs and the tales of their businesses.

Stories that the authors rightly define as inspiring and leadership stories that often remain overshadowed. These are the stories of women and men who, without fanfare, have shaped the destinies of companies, communities and entire sectors through their vision, passion and commitment. The book, commissioned by Aegis Human Consulting Group, tells the stories of little-known companies that, according to the authors, represent “authentic experiences, rich in lessons and deep values”. Stories that tell of successes and failures and, above all, that can stimulate reflection, new perspectives and awareness. The reader is thus able to follow the entrepreneurial steps of the people behind Giovanardi SpA, Giano Srl, API Srl, Tre Elle Srl, Cifarelli SpA, Aegis Srl, Proel SpA, Gest Srl and Edam Soluzioni Ambientali Srl.

This book by Dario Bussolin and Azzurra Maria Sorbi is a must-read , and should probably be read by anyone who wants to start a business.

Ordinary leadership. La fenomenologia della leadership attraverso il potere di storie quotidiane

Dario Bussolin, Azzurra Maria Sorbi

Franco Angeli, 2025

An examination of the relationship between working age and organisational change reveals relationships that are different from the usual

The future is built on both the present and the past. It is a question of experience, of tried and tested practices, of knowledge that is the heritage of the organisation and of the society in which it operates. This applies to businesses as well as social systems. A condition that, it must be stressed, must be welcomed with caution: the past and the present should not prevail over the future, i.e. the desire to do new and different things.

These are the concepts on which Giancarlo Lauto and Gouya Harirchi base their argument in “Quando il cambiamento passa dalla vecchia guardia: come guidare le reazioni degli addetti esperti all’introduzione del lean management” (When change comes from the old guard: how to guide expert staff reaction to the introduction of lean management) a paper featured in a recent issue of Prospettive in organizzazione from the Italian Association of Business Organisation.

In particular, the two scholars focus on the relationship between change and the seniority of the people who have to face it. All in all, it is a fascinating subject because it also deals with generational change in companies, the transfer of knowledge and professionalism within organisations.

Contrary to stereotypes, even senior employees can contribute to the effective introduction of lean management. This is Lauto and Harirchi’s thesis, but they explain that it is necessary for the company to implement a coherent set of human resource management practices, in particular training, and to promote behaviours that actively support change. In other words, if the future is to belong to everyone, everyone must be able to contribute to it and benefit from it.

It is worth reading Giancarlo Lauto and Gouya Harirchi’s research, which sheds light on one of the most controversial but important aspects of good corporate culture.

Quando il cambiamento passa dalla vecchia guardia: come guidare le reazioni degli addetti esperti all’introduzione del lean management

Giancarlo Lauto, Gouya Harirchi

In Prospettive in organizzazione, Journal of the Italian Association of Business Organisation, 28/2025

A Collection of Iconographic Testimonies from Our Historical Archive on the Intense Bond between Pirelli and Urban Culture

Pirelli, the City, a Vision. In this third chapter of our story about the intense relationship between Pirelli and the city, we explore the realm of visual communication. Through photography and advertising campaigns, the company shows itself and its products as part of an urban landscape filled with meaning.

In “Pirelli, the City, a Vision”, the first article in this analysis, we saw how the bond between Pirelli and the city of Milan became a defining feature of the company’s identity, with “Milano” becoming part of the name of both the company and its products, “leaving a mark on the creation of its history and imagery”. The next step—which we examine here—is the integration of the image of the city into the company’s visual communication, beginning with depictions of its factories. The Milan plants, in particular, are shown as part of the urban setting, as we see in the poster for the installation of the Museo Storico delle Industrie Pirelli. Created by Domenico Bonamini, it appeared as Lo stabilimento di Milano-città (“The Factory in the City of Milan”) and was made to celebrate Pirelli’s fiftieth anniversary in 1922.

As for the visual communication of products, it was in the 1950s that the city became a co-star in many advertising campaigns. These were times of rapid urban transformation, driven by industrialisation and a surge in urbanisation—a theme we previously explored on our website in “Pirelli and the City of the Future”. Against this backdrop, Pirelli products—especially tyres and clothing—were reimagined as essential items for city life. A notable example is a 1950 photograph taken in the Piazza del Duomo in Milan for an advertisement featuring Pirelli’s raincoat for traffic wardens. In 1952, Franco Grignani’s advertisement for the Pirelli Stelvio tyre paired a picture of a city with the concept of safety: “Stelvio, the tyre that holds the road”. In 1957, Erberto Carboni’s advertising campaign for the Rolle Stelvio Cinturato tyre presented a message that combined the concept of travelling by car with that of city tourism, highlighting the comfort of urban exploration: “Milan is not just business—it has a hidden history”.

The 1960s brought splendid new imagery with the Pirelli Confezioni catalogues. Some of the finest pictures were Ugo Mulas’s iconic photographs for the La Moda e il Grattacielo catalogue of 1959, designed by Bob Noorda, which captured breath-taking views of Milan as the Pirelli Tower and its construction site were reshaping the city’s skyline. The Pirelli Confezioni 1961-62 catalogue flew to Paris, with shots like the one for Women’s waterproof coat, Dora line, which embodies the style, the elegance and the spirit of Paris.

Moving on to look at the 1970s and to the audio-visual section of our Historical Archive, we find a series of Carosello television commercials called “La nostra vita sulle strade” (Our Life on the Roads), directed by Roberto Gavioli. These 1-minute-and-50-second commercials generally show paradoxical situations on the roads, or in our case on city streets, with a fair dose of humour. Here, the city emerges in its most chaotic form, with Pirelli tyres solving problems and easing complexities.

The link between Pirelli, its products, and urban life becomes increasingly evident—not only in terms of practicality and safety but also in terms of style, both aesthetic and as a way of life.

By the 1990s, the city had taken on new meaning in Pirelli’s first global campaign, the award-winning “Power is nothing without control” campaign by Young & Rubicam. In the iconic 1995 commercial featuring Carl Lewis, the most recognisable landmarks of New York provide a dramatic backdrop for the action. Later versions introduced other metropolises, such as Rio de Janeiro, with an unforgettable Ronaldo standing atop the Corcovado, taking the place of Christ the Redeemer. We had entered the era of globalisation: cities once again took centre stage, as symbols of interconnectedness, hubs in a vast global network, and settings where relationships were forged, such as those between businesses and creatives in the world of graphics, design and photography.

On 4 March, the Pirelli Foundation devoted a workshop to this relationship, which has been very much alive for over 150 years, under the title: “Design, Visual Communication, and the City: Promoting Company Archives” for high schools, academies and universities, as part of the Milano MuseoCity 2025 initiative. It was an opportunity to examine the rich iconographic and documentary heritage of a company that has transformed communication into a history of art and of the city, exploring urban customs and lifestyles with a vision of modernity that balances functionality and aesthetic research.

The 2025 edition of “Cinema & Storia” has drawn to a close. This free training and refresher course for secondary school teachers, on the theme of Italy by Bicycle: Industrial Modernity, Political and Social Conflicts, and Artistic Visions, welcomed around 200 teachers from across Italy this year. Organised by the Pirelli Foundation and Fondazione ISEC, and now in its thirteenth edition, the course started its new partnership with Cineteca di Bologna, whose selection of films—made available to teachers via streaming—accompanied the six online events and an in-person visit to the Pirelli Foundation.
The history lectures explored the multifaceted role of the bicycle: a product of industrial modernity, a symbol of freedom and an object of desire, as well as a mass-market item that resonates with the most diverse cultures, and a tool for sustainable mobility. This humble mode of transport brings with it an extraordinary history, making it a useful subject for classroom discussions.

Each session opened with “Tales from the Archive,” a brief reflection on the historical treasures preserved by the Pirelli Foundation. Through a selection of documents linked to this year’s theme, the teachers explored artefacts ranging from a commemorative postcard celebrating the first Giro d’Italia in 1909 to snapshots of the Gran Premio Pirelli at the Vigorelli Velodrome. There were vintage advertising campaigns for Pirelli bicycle tyres—created by graphic design legends such as Lora Lamm and Massimo Vignelli—and photos tracing the evolution of cycling culture in Italy.

The course opened with a speech by Raimonda Riccini, a design historian, who explored the symbolic universe of the bicycle, a means of transport that has left a profound mark on art and advertising. The teachers were taken on a journey through the rich iconography that has placed the bicycle firmly in the popular imagination, both aesthetically and culturally.
The animated film The Triplets of Belleville by Sylvain Chomet took participants on a whimsical journey through the stages of the Tour de France, following the misadventures of Madame Souza and her nephew Champion, from Marseille to the fictional megalopolis of Belleville. Bursting with witty references and bright ideas, the film is remarkable for its meticulous animation and memorable characters.

Eleonora Belloni, professor of Contemporary History at the University of Siena, analysed over a century of cycling mobility in Italy: a struggle to claim public spaces that accompanied Italy’s long journey towards modernisation, challenging evolving visions of progress and democracy along the way.
Post-war Italy, caught between the scars of conflict and the promise of rebirth, took centre stage in Bicycle Thieves, the neorealist masterpiece by Vittorio De Sica and Cesare Zavattini. This timeless classic won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1950.

The third session, led by Francesca Tacchi, associate professor of Contemporary History at the University of Florence, examined the complex relationship between women and bicycles: from the late nineteenth century to the crucial role of partisan couriers during the Liberation struggle, through to the rise of women’s cycling in the 1960s and the first Giro Donne in 1988.
Three stories, each representing a stage in a woman’s life in Iran, took centre stage in The Day I Became a Woman by Marzieh Meshkini, a cornerstone of Iranian feminist cinema. In the second episode, in particular, the bicycle—on which the protagonist Ahoo is determined to take part in a cycling race—becomes the symbol of a gruelling struggle against the patriarchy.

The theme of the connection between bicycles and political history was examined in a lecture by Stefano Pivato, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo. His investigation traced the role of the bicycle as a vehicle of consensus and a tool for shaping national identity, from the late nineteenth century through to the Second World War and into the post-war period, a time marked by the legendary rivalry between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.
A selection of films from the Cineteca di Bologna archive offered a unique glimpse into the society, customs, and atmospheres of the various historical periods. These ranged from the dawn of cinema—with the first film by the Lumière brothers—to the Fascist propaganda of the early 1940s, when the bicycle became not just for leisure, but also a sporting icon and a symbol of heroic accomplishments.

The fifth lecture, delivered by the essayist and historian Mimmo Franzinelli, shone a spotlight on Italy’s great cycling races—the Milano-Sanremo, the Giro di Lombardia, and, of course, the Giro d’Italia—underscoring the importance of Milan as an economic and organisational hub, while also tracing a cultural history of the sport, complete with news, iconic champions, passionate fans, and fierce rivalries.
How does one capture the adrenaline-fuelled atmosphere of these competitions on film? Director Jørgen Leth answers this question with A Sunday in Hell, a sports documentary that quickly became a classic in the genre. The film chronicles the 1976 Paris-Roubaix, from the tense moments before the start to the emotional interviews after the finish.

The teachers also had a chance to find out about Pirelli’s longstanding connection to the world of cycling when they visited the Pirelli Foundation. The exhibition The Sports Workshop: Team Work, Research, Technology, Passion and Social Value and the company’s Historical Archive unveiled a wealth of documents, original sketches, photographs, and advertising prints.

The course concluded with Riding the Seventh Art: A Cinematic Journey on Two Wheels, a session held by Simone Fratini of Schermi e Lavagne, the Educational Department of Cineteca di Bologna. This final meeting offered a sweeping overview of the symbolic and narrative role of the bicycle in the iconic films and beloved characters of the cinema. The bicycle has not only shaped cinematic aesthetics and the language of cinema for it has also become a key element in the development of the plot, as well as an emblem of freedom, growth, social struggle and adventure.

15 April is National Made in Italy Day, established by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy to celebrate Italian creativity and excellence. The day highlights the social role and contribution of the Made in Italy brand to the country’s economic and cultural development, emphasising its rich heritage and inspiring the public to promote and protect the value and distinctive qualities of Italian craftsmanship and products. It also aims to encourage young people to pursue artisanal and creative professions linked to the tradition of Italian manufacturing.

To celebrate this occasion, the Pirelli Foundation and the Pirelli Cycling factory in Bollate are offering university students guided tours of the Pirelli facility in Milano Bollate, where “Made in Italy” bicycle tyres are produced. These top-of-the-range tyres are made on a highly automated production line, using cutting-edge technologies. These systems ensure the highest standards not only of product quality but also of workplace safety and environmental sustainability. The students will have a chance to see up close how tyres are made in all the various stages of production. They will also be able to follow the industrial transformations from the past to the present in an exhibition that tells the story of how the company—which was founded 153 years ago but which has never ceased to look to the future—has made and continues to make the history of the Made in Italy brand across the world.

The event is free of charge and will take place on 15 April at the Pirelli plant in Via S. Bernardo, 91, Bollate.

The universities will need to arrange transportation to and from the factory.

The visit will last approximately an hour and a half, with two available slots at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

To sign up for the event, please write to the Pirelli Foundation at scuole@fondazonepirelli.org by 21 March 2025.

“North North”, writes Marco Belpoliti in a book just published by Einaudi, to talk about a world that is not just a geographical place (“… it evades our every attempt to reach it… the North that the compass now shows me is relative, it is not absolute”), but above all has a cultural, economic and social dimension. In Italy, it has a specific connotation, both geological, between the Alps and the valleys that descend from them, and naturalistic (certain animals, certain trees, even if the “palm line” identified by Leonardo Sciascia, with botanical and, above all, anthropological criteria, reaches it). And it is located between the industrious Brianza, the open city of Milan, Pavia and Bergamo and the plain crossed by the course of the Po and its tributaries, including “that great piece of Emilia, land of communists, motor cars, music, beautiful games, rich cuisine and classy Italians” so well described by Edmondo Berselli (in a book published by Mondadori in 2004, to be read and reread).

A North that lives on productive economy and culture. And it is still marked by the traces of great intellectuals such as Carlo Emilio Gadda, Alberto Arbasino and Mario Dondero, Ugo Mulas, Enzo Mari, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Gabriele Basilico, the artists of Bar Jamaica who were fascinated by Giancarlo Fusco in the 1960s, and two Sicilian “great Lombards”, Ferdinando Scianna and Vincenzo Consolo, at Vittorini, amidst melancholy, civic lessons and design skills. A North that is both very European and Mediterranean.

Here, devoting time to the delightful pages of Belpoliti (and also to the ironic and far-sighted pages of Berselli, who died too soon and too painfully) also means finding original ways to interpret the tensions, passions and hopes that characterise the most economically dynamic part of Italy and which, despite everything, are the cornerstones of any process of sustainable economic and social development of the entire country system. Because the North is, among other things, ingenuity, industry, work, change, the quest for well-being, the desire for innovation, but also the capacity for social integration, the civic spirit, the positive myth of progress, sophisticated cultural, humanistic and scientific research. A sense of history and an inclination for innovation in the broadest sense of the word. A taste for beauty and a passion for new technology. The North of Leonardo da Vinci, Leon Battista Alberti and Galileo. Of Giulio Natta and the Futurists. Reformist mayors, entrepreneurs and managers (Olivetti, Pirelli, Agnelli, Falck, Mattei, Borghi, Luraghi, etc.), who wrote the finest pages of the “civilisation of machines”, in which our competitiveness and therefore our economic and social development are still rooted today.

Beyond remembrance, in such difficult and controversial times, there is also a sense of unease that needs to be addressed. The unease of the so-called “GDP party”, to which Dario Di Vico has once again drawn attention (Il Foglio, 8 March). We fear the impact of the tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump and discreetly invite European politicians to do the right maths, from our point of view, not only on the trade balance, but above all on the monetary and financial balance, reminding Washington of the American advantages of having the dollar as the main trading currency, for attracting European capital to Wall Street and for the positive impact of all digital transactions.

There are also complaints here in the north about the ongoing industrial crisis, which is closely linked to the decline of the German economy and the price European countries are paying for geopolitical tensions fuelled by the US, China and Russia. And there is a need for a real forward-looking EU industrial policy, consisting of a single market, investment in innovation, lower energy costs and smart cuts in regulatory and bureaucratic excesses. EU security and defence policy must also be seen in this context: common investments, a common strategy. The outdated and negative policy of forced unanimity and the blackmail of individual countries’ “vetoes” must be overcome quickly and effectively.

The “GDP party” and above all Confindustria (Confederation of Italian Industry) chaired by Emanuele Orsini have given a wide berth to Giorgia Meloni’s government. Now, in addition to an EU response on tariffs, they are calling for adequate recovery measures to go beyond declarations of good intentions: a three-year investment plan and tax measures, for example. They are alarmed by what “La Stampa” calls “Failure 5.0” (11 March), namely the difficulty of obtaining incentives for the green and digital transition and the transfer of funds earmarked for other purposes. They are insisting on corporate tax relief for those who invest. And they are pushing for measures to help the sectors most in difficulty, from the car industry (without deluding themselves that they have the answers from the transition to war production) to clothing.

Those who know the industrial areas well and share the mood, projects and concerns of women and men entrepreneurs know that in recent months, alongside the fears of a prolonged crisis, there has been a certain desire for recovery and revival, a strong European pride and therefore a growing demand for public authorities (European, national, but also the most sensitive local authorities, starting with municipalities such as Milan, Bergamo and Brescia and the Lombardy Region) to put industrial issues at the centre of attention. Not to demand protection or corporate and nationalist safeguards. But not to dissipate the legacy of competitiveness and productivity that most northern companies have built up over the years, thanks to investment and attention to innovation, quality and sustainability. Also in the interest of the whole country.

With industry at the centre, we hear from Trento’s industrialists during the celebrations for the eightieth anniversary of Confindustria Trentino. Strengthen industrial supply chains, argues Assolombarda. Giving companies the tools to increase productivity and competitiveness is a priority in Turin, which after the car crisis is looking to strengthen new sectors, starting with aerospace.

In Emilia-Romagna and the north-east, the “Made in Italy” label is once again in the spotlight, with less emphasis on picturesque craftsmanship and “typical” products. As for the most advanced technologies, the focus is on an original mix of industrial production capacity and high-tech services for companies. Mechatronics and mechanics. Robotics. Chemicals, rubber and pharmaceuticals. Space Economy and shipbuilding. With all the connected technologies.

A productive choice. But also a strong idea of Italy’s presence in the world. Knowing full well that those who do not have a competitive industry do not count on the world’s balance sheet. And therefore are not the agents of their own future.

The industrial horizon fits into the context of Europe’s defence. And democracy. Think not just of a square with EU flags, but of a factory, a market, a financial terminal, a university classroom or the ITS research institute. The history of a North where, around the factory, ideas and achievements about citizenship, participation, work and welfare have matured. And where the reforms are mature enough to continue to combine freedom and enterprise, the rights of citizens and the needs of a balanced society. Ideas at the heart of democratic Europe. And that is our civil life. And hopefully our future.

In a network of relationships, in a system of connections. And infrastructure. Mediterranean and European, in fact. Highways, ports, airports, logistics centres, knowledge and training centres. And Leonardo, the great supercomputing centre that, from Bologna, can act as a reference for all the country’s major industrialisation sectors, providing the means to use the data necessary for artificial intelligence.

We might call this North North. Or some other name. But we know that Europe’s strength lies in North-South relations as much as in East-West relations. In new maps of political and trade relations, in which Europe, in dialogue, must be able to assert its primacy. Economic, but also and above all cultural and civil.