The story of Nuovo Pignone told through innovation and people

An industrial adventure with more than 180 years of history that continues to this day. It is the story of Pignone di Firenze, which, under various names, has existed since 1842. Reading about the history of this company is instructive and interesting. And this is possible, at least for the most recent part of its history, with Michele Stangarone’s book “Nuovo Pignone 1954-1999. Un’entusiasmante storia tecnica. Da Firenze all’Italia al mondo” (A fascinating technical history. From Florence to Italy to the world) published a few months ago.

It all began, as has been said, in 1842, when the Pignone foundry began its activity in Florence, on the south bank of the Arno, and in more than a century it became one of the largest Florentine manufacturing companies, integrated into the industrial and working fabric of the city. At the end of the Second World War, however, Pignone faced a serious restructuring crisis and was on the verge of closure. However, a major collective mobilisation and government intervention ended with Eni’s acquisition of Enrico Mattei and the birth of Nuovo Pignone. This is where Stangarone’s book begins.

This text covers some of the milestones in the technical history of the company, real turning points that radically changed its course from 1954 to 1999. In particular, the book covers the entire management of Eni (1954-94) and the beginning of the subsequent management of the American General Electric.

What Michele Stangarone has written is the thrilling story of a gamble, a gamble that, in a few decades, has seen a company rise from almost nothing to a position of excellence, bringing work and prestige to Italy and the world. The book – full of photos – explains everything step by step, innovation by innovation.

Nuovo Pignone 1954-1999. Un’entusiasmante storia tecnica. Da Firenze all’Italia al mondo

Michele Stangarone

Giunti Editore, 2024

Original research from the Bank of Italy explores centuries-old legacies that still matter today

History teaches us, including in management and business culture. And in innovation. These are not dusty relics of the past, but important legacies that still leave their mark, perhaps centuries later. This is the understanding you get when you read the fascinating research piece “Inventrici: l’eredità delle corporazioni medievali” (Inventors: the legacy of medieval corporations) by Sabrina Di Addario, Michela Giorcelli and Agata Maida hosted by the Bank of Italy series Discussion Topics.
The research takes its cue from an observation: the proportion of women inventors is significantly lower than that of men. Starting from this fact, the authors of the study try to verify whether the low propensity of women with patents in Italy is related to the historical conception of the role of women in society, measured by their presence among the founders of companies in the Middle Ages. Using history, therefore, as a tool for understanding the present. Including in innovation.
The analysis then uses data on corporations from the Central State Archives and administrative data on employers and employees as well as data from the European Patent Office.
The results show that the Italian provinces which had a higher proportion of women among the founders of medieval companies are those which today have a higher proportion of female inventors and a more intense female patenting activity. And that’s not all: estimates also show that these same provinces now have a higher percentage of female graduates, especially from STEM schools, and a higher participation of women in the labour market.
The analysis carried out by Sabrina Di Addario, Michela Giorcelli and Agata Maida helps to understand a particular aspect of the life of companies and regions, an important factor today, but one which has its roots in the past.

Inventrici: l’eredità delle corporazioni medievali
Sabrina Di Admario, Michela Giorcelli, Agata Maida
Bank of Italy, Discussion Topics No. 1480, March 2025

We need anniversaries, ceremonies and symbolic gestures. Without International Women’s Day on 8 March, how else could we publish the statistics which show that, despite considerable progress, Italy is still last in Europe in terms of the percentage of women in employment, at 53.5%, just below the EU average of 69.3% (in the south a disgraceful 34%). And what would motivate us to include the word “femicide” among the most heinous crimes in the criminal code. It may be a symbolic gesture, but naming a street after Luana D’Orazio, a worker who was crushed to death by a machine in a textile factory in Montemurlo (Prato) in May 1921, in contravention of safety regulations, “is a symbol of all deaths at work.” Without this anniversary, how would we know that the number of female rectors is increasing (there are 17 in 85 universities), with the leading Italian university city, Milan, boasting some “magnificent” women in its five universities (Statale, Politecnico, Bicocca, Cattolica and Iulm), as well as in the nearby Liuc of Castellanza, Varese and probably Pavia. How would we publish research (Il Sole24Ore, 8 March) documenting “the map of women at the top, from institutions to finance: more than ever before” and stressing that in schools “eight out of ten teachers are women” and therefore perhaps “the culture can change”.

In short, to use Wislawa Szymborska‘s poetic words, it’s a good thing to “carve bold words in stone”. But we should also listen to those who keep warning us: like Francesca Paci in “La Stampa”, “Dear men, more facts, less mimosas”, a reference to the mimosa flower traditionally given to women on 8 March as a symbol of the women’s movement. And we should heed the lesson that “every beginning is only a continuation” (another quote from Szymborska, the Polish Nobel Prize winner), with the understanding that there are battles to be fought, social and civil conquests to be achieved and then defended, values of equality and respect to be shared more and more.

Anniversaries, commemorations, celebrations and symbolic gestures serve precisely to reinforce, with the power of ritual, a longstanding commitment to give substance to the rights of equality and participation, to put into practice, here in Italy, the Constitution‘s dictates on equality and on the opportunity of every person to be a citizen and to assert their dreams and legitimate needs, and to guarantee, with each generational change, to the young people entering civil life, adequate opportunities for a better future.

It is therefore important to recognise that more and more women are breaking through the “glass ceiling” of gender discrimination and reaching the top of institutions, associations, companies, cultural and scientific structures (the Golfo-Mosca law on “pink quotas” has had a positive stimulating effect, gradually giving way to selection based on merit). But now we need to broaden our horizons to achieve ever greater equality. Starting from the world of economics and work, but above all from a political assessment of the need for ever greater and better participation by women in all the processes of life in the community, of active and responsible citizenship.

After the darkness of Fascism and the horrors of the racist laws and the war, women became the cornerstone of the life of the Republic at a time of extraordinary political innovation. They were finally able to stand and vote in the referendum on the choice between the Republic and the Monarchy and in the Constituent Assembly of 1946 (for a better understanding, it is worth reading “C’è ancora domani” (Tomorrow is still there) by Paola Cortellesi and “Le madri della Costituzione” (The mothers of the constitution) by Eliana Di Caro, published by IlSole24Ore). The electorate finally coincided with the entire population of voting age. An incomprehensible and unjust discrimination ended. Women became fully-fledged citizens with rights and duties.

Over time, the implementation of the Constitution has meant, and still means, the full implementation of Article 3, which states that “it is the duty of the Republic to remove the economic and social obstacles which, by limiting the freedom and equality of citizens, impede the full development of the human person and the effective participation of all workers in the political, economic and social organisation of the country”.

Checking the level of implementation of Article 3 could be a good parameter to measure, every 8 March, not only the path of equality, but also the state of health of democratic participation in the life and future of Italy.

A path to be followed, promoted and built upon.

In fact, ISTAT, INPS and CNEL statistics (“More educated, less paid”, La Stampa, 7 March; “Eight million unemployed women, the wealth we are wasting”, la Repubblica, 7 March) document that, beyond the formal equality of salaries and careers, women face an uphill struggle, especially after the birth of their first child. Part-time work, less mobility, less willingness to invest in careers and the obligation to take on more family responsibilities than men create a gap in pay and career opportunities. And this gap is often never closed.

In short, there is still much to be done to reduce and then eliminate gender differences in work, pay, rights and, why not? power. This requires a positive process to create better economic and social balance. As Chiara Saraceno, one of the most authoritative Italian sociologists, confirms: “The growth rate of working women is half that of men; motherhood continues to weigh heavily. And reducing the gender gap is not just a question of equality, but of the economic sustainability of the country” (La Stampa, 6 March).

In an Italy that is experiencing a worrying “demographic winter”, policy and investment choices on issues such as labour force participation, family and childcare services, housing, health, support for training and innovation in the broad sense (economic and social, not just technological) are crucial, both from the point of view of sustainable development and, above all, from the point of view of the defence and growth of democracy. Let’s look again at Article 3 of the Constitution from the integrated perspective of women and men.

The issue is also important from a purely economic point of view. “The best way to have a strong economy is to unlock the full potential of women in our workforce,” writes Sheryl Sandberg, former director of Meta (Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram empire), in the Financial Times (reprinted by Il Foglio, 8 March). This is the choice of womenomics as a growth strategy. But it is also an indicator not only of quantity, but above all of quality, and therefore of the equity of development.

Italy itself, with its unique business culture, is the perfect example of this. Our “industrial humanism”, which characterises the most competitive companies in international markets and those most deeply rooted in the country’s “polytechnic culture” of memory and innovation, is based on the synthesis of humanistic and scientific knowledge. And a lack of inclusion is a contradiction in terms. Experience in business management also shows that women are able to express specific qualities that are fundamental in the era of the primacy of the “knowledge economy” and the multidisciplinary approach that is essential for the management of artificial intelligence.

Thinking about the role and responsibility of women therefore means not only having the ability to improve the general social situation by improving the female situation, but above all having an intellectual and cultural universe, a sensitivity and a pragmatic ability to solve problems for that general “paradigm shift” that has been talked about for some time and that affects the productive economy, civil life, the sphere of rights and duties and welfare. In short, the whole of our democracy.

(Photo Getty Images)

A new study has just been published that attempts to bring order to the complex issue of the relationship between people, business organisation and new technologies

Culture and technology, and therefore new technologies and innovation, are also essential within companies. These are roads that need to be explored carefully. Starting from an observation: corporate culture plays a key role in the success of any organisation. This observation may seem almost banal today, but in fact it is by no means a matter of course.

This is the premise of “Corporate Culture as a Formula for Company Success in the Digital Economy”, a study published by Ashot Khachaturyan that attempts to summarise a complex and evolving issue such as the relationship between corporate culture, business results and the perception of the same inside and outside the walls of factories and offices.

In addressing the issue, Khachaturyan stresses that the importance of creating and maintaining a healthy corporate culture cannot be overstated, as it has a direct impact on employee motivation, work productivity and the overall success of the company. And how corporate culture is always a unique priority for each company. The goal of a widespread corporate culture can only be achieved after many years and is now being driven forward by the digitalisation of processes.

According to Khachaturyan, the digital economy is not just a major technological breakthrough, but also the creation of a new culture, values and behavioural norms. In other words, the “digital model” presupposes the existence of cognitive, social and behavioural skills, as well as technological ones, that challenge everything that the corporate organisation has built up to date.

The merit of Ashot Khachaturyan’s research lies in his attempt to bring order to something that is not only complex but also rapidly changing, forcing a constant questioning of principles and patterns of action.

Corporate Culture as a Formula for Company Success in the Digital Economy

Ashot Khachaturyan

Scientific Research Books, 2025

A history book is a good read to help grow a good production culture

Learn about what happened in the past in order to act better in the present while thinking about the future. A wise approach for everyone, including those who run a business. Indeed, it is part of a good corporate culture not to forget the past – one’s own organisation and the context in which it operates – to work better in the present. This is why history books should also be on the reading list of every good entrepreneur and manager. This also applies to “L’Italia repubblicana. Un profilo storico dal 1946 ad oggi” (Republican Italy. A historical profile from 1946 to today), co-authored by Salvatore Mura and Albertina Vittoria, to be published in the next few days.

Mura and Vittoria start with an observation: in the history of republican Italy we find the roots of the weakness of politics and institutions, the causes of the regional differences between the North and the South of the country, the intellectual climate that accompanied the social transformations. The history of the country in the aftermath of the Second World War, conditioned by a series of internal and external constraints, a complex history with many avenues that must be explored simultaneously to get an accurate picture of what happened. To explain all this history, the book adopts a perspective that is not only political, nor only economic, but also focuses on cultural processes, the role of the mass media, the struggles for civil and political rights, immigration, discrimination, the limited presence of women in institutions and at work.

The reading offered by the two authors begins with the post-war period and the reconstruction, but immediately moves on to the beginning of the Cold War, and then on to the years of economic boom, social reforms and economic growth, which then define two Italies and a society in transition. Mura and Vittoria therefore take into account the great economic and social movements of the sixties to arrive at the great problems of the eighties and then at what is defined as “another era”: the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. The book ends with an account of more recent events: the pandemic season, its aftermath, the phenomenon of large-scale migration.

The value of Salvatore Mura and Albertina Vittoria’s book is rightly noted in the opening pages: “This book is indeed a portrait of the past, but it also aims to be a tool for understanding the present.” One of the most powerful quotes in the book is from Marc Bloch, one of the fathers of contemporary history: “Misunderstanding of the present is the inevitable consequence of ignorance of the past.”

L’Italia repubblicana. Un profilo storico dal 1946 ad oggi

Salvatore Mura, Albertina Vittoria

Carocci editore, 2025

Cinema & Storia, the free training and refresher course for secondary school teachers, returns in 2025. Promoted by the Pirelli Foundation and the Fondazione ISEC, in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, the subject of this 13th edition is Italy by Bicycle: Industrial Modernity, Political and Social Conflicts, and Artistic Visions.

More than two centuries after its first, clunky predecessors, the bicycle has lost none of its timeless appeal and remains a symbol of both cutting-edge technology and nostalgic childhood memories, of personal adventures and historic turning points.
This year, Cinema & Storia will be exploring the many facets of one of modernity’s most emblematic objects: from the industrial processes that made it a mass-consumer product to the key moments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when it played a role in shaping political change; from the hard-fought battle of women to mount their bikes to the everyday lives of working-class people for whom the bicycle has long been both a means of transport and a tool of the trade.
And beyond that: for decades, the bicycle has brought with it a rich symbolic and artistic universe, closely linked to the most vivid elements of our collective imagination.

The course consists of six online sessions and an in-person visit to the Pirelli Foundation. Five history lectures will be complemented by a session at the Cineteca di Bologna, which will select and feature a series of films.
Sessions are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the following dates:

Monday 17 February – 1st online session
Monday 24 February – 2nd online session
Wednesday 5 March – 3rd online session
Monday 10 March – 4th online session
Monday 17 March – 5th online session
Monday 24 March – In-person visit to the Pirelli Foundation
Wednesday 26 March – 6rd online session

Registration is free but mandatory and opens on 13 January. Please write to didattica2@fondazioneisec.it. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
All online sessions will be streamed live via Microsoft Teams.
Click here to explore the full programme.

See you on 17 February at 4 p.m.!

The Debate on Urban Development in the Pages of Pirelli Magazine and the Programmes of the Pirelli Cultural Centre

Pirelli, the City, a Vision. The second episode of our story exploring the bond between Pirelli and the city focuses on the debate surrounding urban development, which in the 1950s and 1960s saw the company promote key moments of research, discussion and cultural dissemination.

We begin with Pirelli magazine, a major literary phenomenon that came out on newsstands from November 1948 to April 1972, almost once a month. With contributions from leading writers and journalists of the time, and images by the most famous illustrators and photographers, the magazine played a vital role in the international cultural debate, embracing the humanistic, technical-scientific and social spheres. It chronicled the sweeping economic and social transformations of the period with analyses and reports on cutting-edge themes. From 1953 onwards, these also included the city and its development model, which were looked at from a multidisciplinary perspective, ranging from architecture and urban planning through to sociology.

Notably, the article “Come sarà Milano?” (What will Milan be like?), which was published in the first issue of Pirelli magazine in 1953, was the first of a series of monographs on eight Italian cities. The focus was always on planning for the future—reshaping the urban landscape to accommodate the profound transformations brought about by urbanisation in those years. Industrialisation was a key driver of these changes, with the construction of new factories, the expansion of infrastructure, and the creation of modern residential neighbourhoods.

It looked at Milan, with its urban planning scheme, its business centre, and Metro project—in other words, the new face of the city. The article by Vincenzo Buonassisi, Simonetta De Benedetti and Giuseppe Forcellini appears in the contents page of the magazine as “the first comprehensive and systematic investigation on the subject”. It devoted ten pages to the urban planning scheme, with in-depth technical analyses and striking illustrations and graphic representations. A journalistic piece of great interest, it reaffirmed Pirelli’s role as a pioneering voice in the debate on the city of the future.

After Milan, the magazine went on to explore Genoa (“Come sarà Genova” – “What Genoa will be like”, 1955, no. 1), Rome (“Come sarà Roma”, 1956, no. 1), Turin (“Come sarà Torino”, 1956, no. 4), Naples (“Come sarà Napoli”, 1957, no. 4), Catania (“Come sarà Catania”, 1958, no. 3), Brescia (“Come sarà Brescia”, 1959, no. 2) and Florence (“Come sarà Firenze”, 1959, no. 6). These articles start out from the urban planning schemes and the commissions of technicians and administrators set up in those years, in order to paint a picture of the cities as they were to become. It is surprising to see how these descriptions—or projections—match the cities as we see them today. After all, it was in the 1950s that the foundations for the development of modern cities were laid.

Pirelli’s interest in the city and its models is also clear to see in some of the articles that dealt with the hot topics of those years: infrastructure (“Due aeroporti per Milano”, “Two Airports for Milan”, 1960. no. 2; “Il porto nella città”, “The Port in the City”, 1969, no. 4), schools (“La scuola nella città”, “School in the City”, 1964, no. 5), and pollution (“Di città si muore”, “Cities as a Cause of Death”, 1969, no. 11). The magazine’s editorial team maintained a constant focus on debates, experimental projects and avant-garde ideas, as we see in articles such as “Quindici nuove città” (“Fifteen New Cities”, 1962, no. 1) and “Modello per la nuova città” (“Model for the New City”, 1970, no. 5). 5).

In the following years, the debate on the city also took centre stage in the programmes of the Pirelli Cultural Centre, founded in 1947 “to increase workers’ interest in culture”. Initially hosted at the Ritrovo premises in the first factory in Via Ponte Seveso—one of the few buildings to survive the 1943 bombings—the Centre moved in the 1970s to Piazza Duca d’Aosta, inside the Pirelli Tower. As the Pirelli magazine article “Come il pane” put it, “A new and quite original formula offers the means for employees to take part in the liveliest and most vital expressions of knowledge whenever they feel the desire to do so.”

In the early 1970s, the Cultural Centre organised debates on urban planning, with in-depth analyses of sport and leisure (“Olimpiade, progettazione urbanistica e tempo libero”, “Olympics, Urban Planning and Free Time”, 20 December 1971), urban greenery (“Più verde per Milano”, “More Green for Milan”, 23 March 1972) and smog (“Smog a Milano, il punto della situazione”, “Smog in Milan, the Situation Today”, 17 January 1972), featuring prominent guests and speakers, including the mayor of Milan.

To conclude this look at Pirelli and its special bond with, and vision of, the city, we would like to point to an article by Roberto Guiducci, an urban planner, sociologist and engineer, as well as a frequent contributor to Rivista Pirelli on urban planning topics, entitled “Il valore della città” (“The Value of the City”, 1967, no. 6), with stunning photographs by Giulia Ferlito and Carlo Orsi. This realistic and pragmatic piece does not shy away from pointing out the city’s most critical issues but it ultimately conveys a sense of fascination. It ends with a quote from Aristotle: “Men come together in cities in order to live, but they remain together in order to live the good life.”

The relationship between Italian sounding and other concepts that make Italian companies stand out

Italianness. This is the excellence – in many areas of activity – that makes Italian companies almost unique in the world. A concept that takes various forms: from Italian sounding to Made in Italy. Often abused, but much used, the relevance of country of origin to market success is certainly something that needs to be carefully understood in its economic, but also social and cultural implications.

To understand more “Effetto Country of Origin e Made in Italy” (The Country of Origin Effect and Made in Italy) by Pierfelice Rosato is a good read. Rosato, a lecturer in Economics and Marketing at the University of Bari, attempts to clarify the relationship between a product’s origin and its visibility and effectiveness on the market.

He starts from an observation: at a time when globalisation continues to exert its effects on consumption patterns, despite the recent difficulties associated with a continuing instability of the world geopolitical order, the relevance of the country of origin in the processes of product choice is an element of extraordinary interest in understanding successful strategies to adopt for international markets.
The author then explains the concept of the country of origin effect, understood as the influence of the product’s country of origin on consumer choice processes, with reference to various international markets, which have become increasingly complex in recent years, making its understanding less linear in managerial terms. The question that Rosato seeks to answer is this: how can factors such as the country of origin effect and Italian sounding influence the image and competitiveness of the Italy brand, and thus the ability of companies that have “Made in Italy” as an important factor of their growth strategy to succeed on international markets?

The book therefore attempts to approach these concepts from a managerial perspective, trying to grasp their potential benefits while at the same time raising awareness of any critical issues. The book follows a linear path, starting from a general examination of the “role of the country of origin in the construction of the supply system”, to the “role of culture in the internationalisation processes”, to that of “Made in Italy in the competitiveness of Italian companies”, to the analysis of “Italian sounding”.

This book by Pierfelice Rosato is a good guide to understanding the characteristics and peculiarities of concepts that are now well known but not always as clearly understood.

Effetto Country of Origin e Made in Italy

Pierfelice Rosato

Franco Angeli, 2025

Historical and economic analysis of the relationships between interventions and business growth in a specific economic area

Policies for companies but also for regions. This is a common goal for many administrations and a goal desired by many industrial systems. Which tools to use for which development paths is something that institutions, companies and the social system need to address together. On the basis of these considerations, a research group led by the University of Milan has been studying the example of Monza-Brianza for around ten years. The research summary identifies key elements to better understand which formulas can be adopted to encourage the balanced development of an industrial area.

In order to understand the impact of the measures implemented between 2011 and 2019 in the area between Monza and Brianza, the research was carried out at two different levels. On one level, an analysis of the local business ecosystem was carried out. An ecosystem – it must be stressed – that has two pillars: of course, the companies, but also the local authorities that exist in the area.

Then, at a second level, the economic results of some 30,000 companies and the financial statements of all 55 municipalities in the area were examined with the aim of identifying the conditions and methods in which public financial commitments have stimulated the growth of entrepreneurial activity.

The results show a correlation, but also a number of nuances related to individual companies, the social conditions in which policies are implemented, and the individual social groups involved. The conclusion is that there is no single policy formula to promote development, but there is – as I understand it – a set of formulas that translate into actions that need to go through consensus and sharing in order to be effective.

Le politiche a sostegno dell’impresa in prospettiva storica e il caso di Monza-Brianza (2011-2019) (A historical perspective on policies to support companies and the example of Monza-Brianza (2011-2019))

Daniela Preite, Germano Maifreda, Fabio De Matteis, Fabrizio Striani, Benedetta Maria Crivelli, Gianmaria Brunazzi

Storia in Lombardia, 2024/2

In Milan, in the March gardens, with the trees still bare, there is still a hint of spring in the air. And the streets are crowded with fashionistas for the women’s fashion shows of the next fall/winter collections (it seems that chocolate brown and high-waisted pencil skirts will be very popular, but a difficult choice if you’re not tall and thin). In order to counterbalance the perceived frivolity of the fashion world, Milano MuseoCity has launched 140 events in museums and historic buildings to showcase great works of art, as well as the collections of archives and corporate museums: a whole week of art, science, technology, design, ‘savoir-faire and know-how’. This is Milan: beauty and polytechnic culture, a thousand sparkling lights and the solidity of knowledge.

You can get an idea of Milan by leafing through the pages of the daily newspapers, which speak of a metropolis that everyone studies with obsessive attention, and that the Milanese themselves observe with a particular self-critical tendency (“Milanese are made” by demanding paths of inclusion and integration, guided by the tradition of work rules and civic and civil virtues, even if they are in a bit of a crisis today). And while there are those who write books entitled “Against Milan”, deploring its illustrious decline, there is a lively debate in the political and economic world, in civil society and in cultural circles (the “Grande Milano” Centre of Studies is an exemplary testimony) about what is to be done, in terms of government policies and social choices, so that Milan remains “the place to be”, despite a world of increasing conflicts and turbulent changes.

Without illusions or rhetoric. But, if anything, with the deep conviction that a metropolis is the perfect place for complexity and, why not, contradiction. Take note of the words of the great American poet, Walt Whitman: “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” Milan is, indeed, a city of multitudes.

So what are the newspapers talking about? A Milanese woman from a Chinese family, Anna Ylan Zhang, who won Masterchef. She is unemployed, can cook very well, has the temperament of someone who can withstand tough competition (and is often emotional) and eventually succeeds. Everything about her is very Milanese (she was born in via Sarpi).

Reading the “Corriere della Sera”, you discover that in Via Palestro, a street in the centre of the city, cars belonging to members of a luxurious private club are double-parked or parked on the pavement, while a liveried doorman turns away ordinary motorists. Is this a confirmation of the drift towards “the city of the rich”? Perhaps we shouldn’t generalise about a single case of privilege. Reading on, we discover that “an overwhelming wave of Roman restaurants” is on the rise, as “all the most prestigious trattorias in the capital have opened here: it’s the new Milanese fashion”. “Gricia” and “carbonara” next to ossobuco and saffron coloured risotto: Milan is very inclusive, isn’t it?

We read in “la Repubblica” that the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, reiterated that “the city is not just the market and production”, that “loneliness is an epidemic” and that “Milan will be saved if there is trust”, that is, if humanity, solidarity and a spirit of welcome (not just for the beautiful models, the young people from wealthy families from all over the world and the generous use of guanciale in the kitchen) are not lost. Delpini is absolutely right.

The problem of expensive housing must be tackled as a matter of urgency, given the sharp rise in property prices and rents, which is driving away students, but also young professors, middle-class families and the young men and women of the “creative and intellectual classes”, those who have always been the vital energy of a “rising city”, of an expanding urban culture. Those who govern the city know this. And they are taking action.

An example? Again by reading the newspapers (it’s one’s civil duty to do so, we must have a deep interest in understanding where we live and how to be a good citizen: good information is essential, unlike the vulgarity and approximations so prevalent on social media)… Again in the newspapers, we can read about how the ATM is developing a plan for low-rent housing to recruit tram drivers. A good move, a smart direction for public and private institutions to follow.

The news also reports of “dark” events that create social alarm. But a closer look confirms that Milan, although marked by widespread petty crime, like all big cities, is not the Gotham City that so many like to conjure up, creating a climate of fear.

The news is always reporting that Lombardy’s health service is losing ground in certain ministerial rankings (but if you read on, you will see that the quality of care, in both public and private facilities, remains very high and is attractive to thousands of patients who come here from the rest of Italy). There is always “some good to come out”, as Giangiacomo Schiavi rightly comments in the “Corriere”.

We also read that Milan and Palermo, under the impetus of their two mayors, Beppe Sala and Roberto Lagalla, are planning joint programmes in the fields of culture, quality education, the environment, new technologies and the European development of the Mediterranean area, which could create “laboratories of frontier spirit and creativity” in the two cities”. And from a fundamental choice for “legality”.

These are just some snippets of the news. What do they tell us? That Milan, like every metropolis, must be understood with attention and respect, without making sweeping generalisations. And that the key to interpretation is the analysis of complexity. There are problems and solutions.

Indeed, a metropolis like Milan cannot live without the market, private enterprise, growth and incentives for success. But it cannot, of course, be left to the dominance of market logic. There is a need for good governance, national and regional and quality public administration. This must combine values and interests, both general and specific. As, moreover, the history of its mayors has shown it can do (and whose lesson should be reconsidered and reflected upon today). As its entrepreneurial classes and business associations have demonstrated, it shows how public and civic values can be nurtured even in the business world.

In short, a more productive economy (the word “productive” is essential, without getting caught up in “earning”). And better public administration. In a synergy of choices and projects that, as always, bring together market and welfare, competitiveness and social inclusion. A difficult synergy to maintain, however, when citizens read the news again and discover that the government continues to cut the funds available to local authorities for services and investment. Doing things on the cheap is not a good habit nor an effective democratic service to citizens. Not in Milan or anywhere else.

(photo Getty Images)