The 2026 edition of “Cinema & Storia” has drawn to a close. This free training and professional development course for secondary school teachers, titled “Cittadine! Pagine di storia delle donne, una storia di tutti” – Pages of Women’s History, a History for Everyone – brought together 260 teachers from across Italy this year. Curated by the Pirelli Foundation and Fondazione ISEC, and now in its fourteenth edition, the programme intersperses historical topics with film screenings. These are presented and commented on by Cineteca di Bologna in six online sessions, and participants are given a guided tour of the Pirelli Foundation.

From the shifting boundary between private and public life to the stories of women entrepreneurs and key figures in twentieth-century publishing, to the hard-won achievement of women’s suffrage and the experience of war and the Resistance, “Cittadine!” has gone beyond themes of women’s history for it has also shone a light on a vital chapter of Italy’s national identity.

Each session opened with “Tales from the Archive,” a brief reflection on the historical treasures safeguarded by the Pirelli Foundation. Through a selection of documents linked to this year’s theme – photographs, company publications from Pirelli magazine to Fatti e Notizie, sketches, and advertising materials – a corporate narrative emerged that is, ultimately, also a story of women.

“Private and Public Life: Domestic Work, Consumption, Technologies” marked the opening stage of the course. It was led by the design historian Raimonda Riccini, who traced how, in the twentieth century, the home, the family, and women themselves were at the centre of a quiet yet profound revolution, with new rights and evolving customs. The session was accompanied by a screening of Nilde Iotti – Il tempo delle donne by Peter Marcias, a documentary that reconstructs the life of a woman who shattered taboos and helped drive the emancipation of Italian civil society.

Adriana Castagnoli – a historian, economist, and editorialist for Il Sole 24 Ore – retraced the evolution of female entrepreneurship in the modern era. She charted a path from the nineteenth century to the present day, highlighting moments of rupture and transformation in Italy and abroad. Among the figures discussed was Alice Guy, the focus of a selection of short films curated by the Cineteca di Bologna. A true pioneer of cinema – as a producer, entrepreneur, and director of La Fée aux choux (1896) – she made history by creating the first fictional film.

The presence of women in the world of books and reading – in all the many professional roles they have occupied, often behind the scenes – was the main theme of the lecture by Irene Piazzoni, professor of Contemporary History at the University of Milan. Translators, collaborators, consultants, editors, publishers, and authors all came into focus. Among them was Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post, whose story is told in the film The Post. The first woman to lead such a prestigious newspaper, in 1971 she chose to publish the vast national scandal surrounding the Vietnam War, risking both her company and her freedom.

The landmark date of 2 June 1946 was examined in a talk by Patrizia Gabrielli, professor of Contemporary History and Gender History. It marked the culmination of women’s suffrage and the birth of a democratic vision of citizenship based on participation, responsibility, and the consolidation of political and social rights. The session concluded with a screening of Divorce Italian Style, a biting critique of honour killings – then tolerated under Italian law – starring Marcello Mastroianni, in a film that won the Oscar for Best Screenplay.

The fifth session, led by Dianella Gagliani, associate professor of Contemporary History at the University of Bologna, examined how war – despite its immense suffering – also became a moment of awakening for many women, offering them a chance to claim new rights. Also the Italian Resistance emerged as a crucial step towards a renewed form of citizenship for women. The elegant black-and-white animation of Persepolis led the participants through the life of Marjane Satrapi: twenty years of history seen through the eyes of a young Iranian girl growing up, discovering her family’s past, witnessing revolution and then a war, suffering and, ultimately, leaving her country.

The participants were then invited to explore the profound transformations in industrial labour over time through a visit to the Pirelli Foundation. From the emergence of women in the late nineteenth century to the First World War – when the number of women in the workforce rose sharply – through to the post-war years, when factory work increasingly became a pathway to independence and emancipation for many young women.

The course ended with a session entitled “From Screen to History: Women in Cinema”, led by Anna Masecchia, associate professor of Cinema, Photography, Radio, Television and Digital Media at the University of Florence, and Simone Fratini of Schermi e Lavagne, the educational department of the Cineteca di Bologna. During this final stage, it was explained how, right from the outset, cinema played a vital role in shaping the social imagination around women, depicting the roles, tensions, and transformations across the twentieth century. By revisiting iconic characters and a wide range of cinematic styles, the session brought into focus the enduring tension between private and public life, between social expectations and personal desires.

A speech by the Secretary General of the Bank of Italy sheds light on the links between the past and the present in productive organisations

Innovating without forgetting corporate traditions is an important principle, even if it may seem somewhat contradictory at first. It is a principle that must be taken seriously and  put into practice within production and service organisations. Massimo Doria (Secretary General of the Bank of Italy) developed this concept in his speech, ‘Valuing tradition and skills to meet the challenge of innovation’, delivered at the conference ‘Human capital and development: Prospects for Sardinia and beyond’ on 19 March 2026.

First, Doria examined the context in which businesses and organisations generally find themselves operating. This is a context in which innovation appears to play a dominant role, alongside working and market conditions shaped by past developments and human action.

The Secretary General of the Bank of Italy considered what skills need to be developed to strike a balance between innovation  and preserving traditions that remain important today, bearing in mind changes in working hours and the organisation of work itself. In his conclusions, Doria noted that, ‘In a system where working time is better integrated with personal time than in the past, but which is also becoming detached from stable connections with places and people, it is important to preserve human bonds. These bonds form the foundation of what we call a ‘sense of belonging’ in any organisation, and are the ability to recognise and support one another. It is the common thread that binds people of different generations and experiences.’ On further reflection, these guidelines can certainly apply to any production organisation.

Valuing tradition and skills to meet the challenge of innovation

Massimo Doria (Secretary General of the Bank of Italy)

Speech at the conference ‘Human capital and development: Prospects for Sardinia and beyond’, Cagliari, 19 March 2026

A book describing the various forms of relationship between the two fundamental components of a company is published

Capital and labour come together to create and operate a business. The two are inseparable, even with the advent of new technologies. Human relationships within companies are fundamental, and these companies also become businesses for this reason.

Giuseppe Milan and Ilaria Vesentini capture this well in their book, ‘Capitale e lavoro la via italiana alla partecipazione’ (Capital and work: The Italian way to participation), which begins with the law on worker participation, and goes on to explore the wide range of business relationships. The authors examine the subject from five different perspectives: that of the entrepreneur, worker, lender, professional and manager. The analysis is consequently carried out from the institutions’ perspective, examining a series of real-life cases: Sonepar, Bonfiglioli, Umbra Group, Zordan, Duferco and Sogno Veneto. The same theme is then explored in greater depth on the basis of current experiences in other countries.

Milan and Vesentini observe that ‘without capital and labour, there is no enterprise, no wealth creation and no growth. However, for growth to occur, it is not enough to simply have businesses; they must also constantly increase their productivity. This is what the Italian system has been unable to achieve for at least a generation: it is the starting point for any reasoning, reform or policy that aims to ensure a prosperous future for the country. Stagnating productivity is the reason for the lack of wage growth and the decline in Italian per capita income, both relative to comparable countries and the European average. This has led to the general impoverishment of the country and the weakening of its welfare system, which is essentially funded by labour, given that investment income enjoys preferential tax treatment in Italy.

Capitale e lavoro la via italiana alla partecipazione

Giuseppe Milan, Ilaria Vesentini

POST Editori, 2025

In 1950, David Riesman, one of America’s leading sociologists, wrote ‘The Lonely Crowd’. Within just a few years, the book had become essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the social dynamics of America’s major cities. Published in Italy in 1956 by Einaudi, it sparked some debate, as was often the case with the publication of sociological works in Italy at the time. Hollywood films had gradually introduced us to bustling streets full of people in a hurry, each going about their own business; detached houses in the suburbs; tiny flats in Manhattan; and underground carriages packed with strangers who were indifferent to one another. But for us, this was still all just a film, a story set in another world. We lived in bustling villages with close-knit families, bustling squares where everyone knew one another, and had complex family ties.

The situation here changed, too, when large waves of migration emptied the southern villages and swelled the ranks of the industrial cities from the mid-1950s right through to the late 1960s. A whole new world.

New jobs, new urban rhythms and new forms of social interaction. Here too, between Milan and Turin, Riesman could now find his solitary crowds. In just over half a century, cities have changed in terms of their pace of life, social make-up, and habits.  They are also having to come to terms with new forms of loneliness, which are often linked to deprivation in the form of not just economics, but also society and culture.

A recent article in ‘Il Giorno’ (11 March) reveals the figures behind the phenomenon: ‘The lives of Milan’s 435,000 singles’. Let’s take a look at those numbers: 57% of the more than 780,000 households consist of a single person. These include the elderly, pensioners, widows and widowers, as well as young people flocking to university courses. Milan, with around 230,000 students, is Italy’s largest university city and remains highly sought-after, offering a guarantee of academic quality, job opportunities and good salaries. At the Politecnico, 61% of young foreign students remain in Italy (la Repubblica, 15 October).

An extraordinary transformation is currently underway in Milan, affecting services, urban planning, the property market, transport, leisure and even the daily commute between the city and its surrounding areas. Every day, around a million people arrive in the city, adding to its current population of 1.4 million and radically changing things.

The situation has changed considerably over the last thirty years: in 1990, there were 295,000 single-person households, a figure which rose to 368,000 in 2011 and exceeded 400,000 in 2019. The latest data, from 2024, puts this figure at 434,000. And the trend is on the rise: a city of older people whose numbers are growing, while the number of children is falling. Birth rates have fallen by 14% over the past five years, and forecasts suggest that 40% of nurseries will close by 2036.

Naturally, statistics and forecasts should be treated with caution. But one thing is certain: the services being prioritised are primarily those related to healthcare and the elderly, rather than early childhood education and care. This is despite the fact that Milan boasts some outstanding provision thanks to its mix of public and private facilities.

Milan is an expensive city, especially since the Renzi law introduced a flat-rate tax of €200,000 a year for those looking to take up residence there.

While it has certainly led to an increase in the number of five-star hotels, top-class restaurants and luxury shopping, it does not appear that the measure has attracted significant industrial, commercial or financial investment to the city.

However, cities are living, dynamic entities that are constantly changing and cannot be attributed solely to market forces. Milan has finally realised that a proper welfare plan is needed, following years of great success in attracting visitors, a tourism boom and the arrival of tens of thousands of young university students. The city must rebuild new chains of solidarity in neighbourhoods, schools and community centres. And in libraries. In the city where the most books are sold in Italy, the Department of Culture has launched a plan to increase the number of libraries and link them together, including school, corporate, local and residents’ association libraries, as well as hospitals and prisons.

Because, sometimes, the loneliness of the crowd can be eased simply by having a place to go and read a good book.

(photo Getty Images)

Pirelli and winter: an ever-evolving story of products and sport. And today marks a new milestone in its partnership with the XXV Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, as an “Olympic and Paralympic Partner”. This article, part of our in-depth “Pirelli – Winter – Sport” feature, focuses on a shared experience and passion for challenges on snow and ice. A journey that now sees Pirelli equipping the entire Olympic fleet with tyres from its winter and all-season ranges.

 In the Pirelli Foundation articles Winter, a Season to Enjoy, Three Winter Tales, and Winter, Passion and Sport, we explored how winter has long been fertile ground for Pirelli. A season that has fostered product innovation and pioneering communication campaigns, while building up a system of values linked to this “new” time of year. Winter has become something to be lived more freely: travelling safely, having fun, and enjoying winter sports. A world to be shared with company employees outside of working hours, with the founding of the Sport Club Pirelli in 1922. Sports fields and facilities were built directly opposite the Milano Bicocca factory, together with the historic Pro Patria 1883 club, which offered skiing and mountaineering right from the outset. It was also a world to be made known through creative advertising campaigns and the editorial vision of Pirelli’s in-house publications.

A passion for the mountains became part of the popular imagination in a society eager to achieve success and find new places and lifestyles after the Second World War. Improved economic conditions and technological progress made this possible, and Pirelli played an active role. Pirelli magazine was one of the first to devote articles to the growing accessibility of the mountains, made possible by new technologies. These included, in Pirelli magazine no. 6 of 1949, “Le funivie hanno aperto le porte della montagna” (“Cableways Have Opened up the Mountains”) by Nino Nutrizio; in no. 6 of 1951, “Salire comodi per scendere veloci” (“Up in Comfort, Down at Speed”) with Federico Patellani’s text and photos; in no. 2 of 1954, “Scavalcheremo in funivia la catena del Bianco” (“We’ll Cross the Mont Blanc Chain by Cable Car”) by Franco Pellini; and in no. 4 of 1957, “Andiamo sul Bianco con moglie e bambini” (“Let’s Go to Mont Blanc with Wife and Kids”) by Enzo Gibelli. What we see in Pirelli magazine is a genuine debate about the mountains, examining their many facets: the development of tourist destinations in “Le capitali della neve” (“The Snow Capitals”) by Maria Grazia Marchelli in no. 2 of 1959, “La montagna non dorme” (“The Mountain Never Sleeps”) by Roberto Guiducci in no. 1 of 1967, the promotion of local areas in “I rustici Tabià dell’Ampezzano” (“The Rustic Tabià of Ampezzo”) by Giorgio Soave in no. 6, 1952, and, of course, hiking and winter sports, with their champions, facilities and competitions.

It is within this lively debate that we find the Winter Olympics, with their records and thrills, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, which hosted the VII Winter Olympics in 1956. These were the first Games hosted by Italy and the first to be broadcast live on Eurovision. They inspired a rich series of articles, ranging from reporting to reflection: (“Trentacinque bandiere a Cortina”  (“Thirty-five Flags in Cortina”) by Giorgio Fattori (Pirelli magazine no. 6 of 1954); “Le Olimpiadi di Toni Sailer”(“Toni Sailer’s Olympics”) by Rolando Marchi (no. 1, 1956); “Bob a Cortina: quasi un’Olimpiade” (“Bobsleigh in Cortina: almost an Olympics”) by Giorgio Bellani (no. 6, 1959); and “Non ci sono pattinatori” (“There Are No Skaters”) by Guido Otto (no. 2, 1962).

Pirelli’s commitment to sport continued to grow in the following decades, becoming increasingly global. It entered into partnerships in the world of competitive winter sports, from FISI – with a five-year agreement signed in 2017 for the Alpine Ski World Championships organised by the International Ski Federation (FIS) – and the Ice Hockey World Championships with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to the XXV Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, starting on 6 February 2026.

As an Olympic and Paralympic Partner, Pirelli will equip the entire official Olympic fleet for the XXV Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, scheduled for February and March in Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige. Around 3,000 vehicles supplied by Abarth, Alfa Romeo, FIAT, Fiat Professional, Lancia and Maserati will run exclusively on Pirelli winter and all-season tyres: Cinturato Winter 3, Scorpion Winter 2, P Zero Winter 2 and Cinturato All Season SF3, all winners of the top comparative tests in 2025.

Winter conditions have always challenged Pirelli, from the Inverno, the first winter tyre, with its herringbone tread in 1951, to the Nuovo Inverno in 1959; from the Pirelli BS3 with its separate tread in the same year to the launch of the Pirelli Winter in 1979, which continues today with a wide range for cars, SUVs and vans. From our Historical Archive, the article “La tua macchina sulla neve” (“Your Car on the Snow”) by Giovanni Canestrini in Pirelli magazine no. 1 of 1956, describes the “severest tests” faced by the new Inverno tyres during the 1956 traffic conference in Sestriere. Mastering wet and mountain roads, slopes and snow-covered surfaces, extreme cold and ice – while preserving the beauty of winter travel – is the pride that Pirelli brings to Milan Cortina 2026 today. A pride built on reliability, backed by the strength of history.

A number can mark a milestone. But in Formula 1, it can also become a story: of drivers and engineers, of risks and decisions, of spectators and shared rituals, of research and precision. A Stir of the Soul: Pirelli’s 500 GPs in the F1 World Championship, edited by the Pirelli Foundation and published by Marsilio Arte, celebrates Pirelli’s 500 races in the World Championship through a rich collection of illustrations, many of which come from the Pirelli Historical Archive. It is a story that unfolds like a film, guiding the viewer-reader through decades of racing.

Published in separate English and Italian editions, the book also marks the 75th anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship. It retraces a story that began at Silverstone on 13 May 1950, when the Championship itself was born, and follows Pirelli’s presence across three major periods. From the early years of the 1950s to the 1980s, and through to today’s challenges, the evolution of motorsport emerges with an almost cinematic rhythm. Close-ups of key figures alternate with sweeping views of legendary circuits, while action sequences capture the sheer thrill of speed. Alongside the drivers – from Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio to Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet, and on to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen – the book also honours the technicians, engineers, and mechanics who have sustained Pirelli’s long-standing role in Formula 1.

The volume is given a truly distinctive touch by a previously unpublished photographic reportage by Darren Heath at the 2025 Grand Prix at Silverstone. In these images, the roar of engines seems almost visible. The spectacle of the race is lifted to an epic scale, forging a link between past, present, and future. Through photographs that capture the energy and contemporary spirit of racing, Heath tells a story from within the history of F1 itself: racing as an open-air laboratory, the importance of tyres for team strategy, the delicate moment of the pit stops, and the crucial role of the people – on and off the track – who make the spectacle of speed possible. A professional world that is essential to the very fabric of competition.

Alongside the illustrations, A Stir of the Soul is enriched by the voices of its protagonists in institutional and narrative contributions: interviews, testimonies, and analyses portray Formula 1 as a workshop where competition and innovation evolve side by side. The book concludes with key metric overviews and infographics dedicated to the numbers involved: kilometres covered, victories secured, records, and statistics that distil decades of competition into their essence.

This is a book that does more than just record events. It puts its subject on stage, restoring to Formula 1 the visual force of a grand narrative, one that opens onto chapters yet to be written

Forget about the liveliness of city centres and new neighbourhoods.  The current economic crisis has another very striking aspect that has a profound impact on both the quality of urban life and safety. Data from Confcommercio reveals that 17,000 shops closed in 2025, 46 a day, exacerbating a trend that was already very evident: over the course of a dozen years, from 2012 to 2025, 156,000 retail outlets closed, accounting for more than a quarter of the total in Italy.

Deserted cities in the evening, less welcoming, and less safe, particularly in the poorer neighbourhoods where older people live. ‘Desertification’, says Carlo Sangalli, president of Confcommercio, expressing concern over a phenomenon that affects his sector but has a profound impact on the quality of life in cities.  The glitz and glamour of luxury and skyscrapers are not enough.  We need to rethink what it means to be human.

It’s true that household incomes are falling, as is spending power. Il Sole24Ore reports that  purchasing power is below 2025 levels (16 March), partly due to price rises (primarily energy), which are linked to the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Gulf states. These price rises are also reflected in intermediate and consumer goods due to rising commodity prices.

In short, life is getting harder,  and the many shop closures are one of the many signs of a decline in quality of life.  This has an effect on safety,  both real and perceived.

Cities are changing radically.  Local shops are becoming increasingly scarce, partly due to high rents.  Online sales are booming; their value reached 62.3 billion in 2025, which is an increase of 187% compared to ten years ago. And large shopping centres also have a profound impact on sales patterns, on the concentration of people, and on the flow of people on the streets.

The only businesses experiencing strong growth are bars, restaurants and food outlets.  Their shop windows are always lit up,  but they are very different from retail shops.

Should we complain about this and try to imagine towns and cities that are more people-friendly and liveable? It’s certainly worth a try.  Years ago, for example, a well-known supermarket chain made the shrewd decision to open small branches in the historic centres of small towns, which proved to be a success.

When rethinking urban planning and the ‘15-minute city’ concept, it is important to consider not only the regulations governing daily life in these areas and essential green spaces and communal areas, such as parks and squares for children to play in safely, but also a serious commercial plan to support small businesses, from grocery shops and small bookshops to florists, local traders and small independent bakeries (not part of retail chains). This will help to prevent the area from becoming dominated by Chinese nail salons and street food outlets.

It is the diversity of neighbourhoods that makes a city varied, beautiful, pleasant and liveable. It is diversity that enriches our daily lives.

Cities are living organisms that  change, grow and evolve in appearance and habits.  They are places of movement and mobility,  and urban spaces  are market spaces.  Cities are markets, but they cannot be left to their own devices.  They must be governed, planned and managed intelligently with a vision for the future. This involves responding to economic imperatives, of course,  but also to human needs.  That is the challenge we face:  designing cities with people in mind,  without the thousands of shop windows going dark.

(Photo Getty Images)

A book that draws on The Rule of St Benedict for guidance on the effective management of production organisations, proving its relevance today

There are rules for businesses and rules for monasteries.  These are rules that, while largely different, are not entirely dissimilar in terms of the organisation of a company and that of a convent.  In fact, these are rules that entrepreneurs and managers can also borrow from those who wear a monk’s habit. Of course, we can draw inspiration from them, taking care not to betray their spirit, but rather seeking to grasp their meaning, which goes beyond the apparent goals and touches on the essence of community life: sharing the same objectives and behaving in a way that shows respect for the individual while working together to reach the finish line.

This is the premise of ‘L’organizzazione perfetta. La Regola di San benedetto una saggezza antica al servizio dell’impresa moderna’ (The perfect organisation. The Rule of St Benedict: ancient wisdom at the service of modern business) by Massimo Folador. The book has a simple and effective structure.  First, there is a historical overview of The Rule. Then, there are three sections (chapters) which identify the key points: the mission, the values, and the conduct to be observed. Finally, there is an in-depth examination of the need to guide oneself, and then others, in order to build an ‘organised community’.

Businesses and monasteries,  two examples of communities, albeit with different aims. Indeed, for 1,500 years, Benedictine monasteries have set an example of how to live and work in an environment where everyone has clear aims and objectives and knows their role and responsibilities, making the most of the community’s strengths. The monastery’s organisational model has stood the test of time and has much to offer the business world, thanks to its effective management of shared values, distributed leadership, and its ability to bring together motivated individuals who are aware of their responsibilities.

Reading Folador’s book will make it clear to anyone how The Rule of St Benedict serves as a powerful reminder of the common roots of organised life and its rules and necessities. At a time when a renewed sense of belonging can breathe new life into corporate life and governance, this is particularly important.

L’organizzazione perfetta. La Regola di San Benedetto una saggezza antica al servizio dell’impresa moderna

Massimo Folador

Guwrini NEXT, 2016

Research study published focusing on the intangibles of production, based on company archives and museums

The culture of production can also be found in the intangible heritage that companies accumulate over time.  This is a particular aspect of analysing the present and past of production organisations,  and it goes hand in hand with another component of the company that demonstrates the same commitment:  the heritage of factories and offices that often stand the test of time.

The research group, consisting of Alberto Bassi, Giulia Ciliberto, Maria Cristina Addis, Jacopo William de Denaro and Marco Scotti, has been thinking about corporate intangible assets for some time.  Their work has now been condensed into ‘Per un approccio ecologico al patrimonio intangibile d’impresa. Gli archivi e i musei aziendali’ (For an ecological approach to the intangible heritage of companies: corporate archives and museums), which, as the title suggests, focuses on the analysis of corporate archives and museums.

In particular, the research aims to formalise a method for mapping the intangible heritage expressed ‘by the entrepreneurial ecosystems of the north-east in their interactions with design culture’. This heritage encompasses various facets of knowledge management within a company, including education and training, scientific research, product development, communication and brand identity, and the quality of spaces and working conditions. These aspects of business activity are particularly complex to measure and evaluate, but are increasingly proving to be crucial to understanding corporate culture, as the researchers note.

The working group’s thesis is that to preserve all this from oblivion or vanishing, a paradigm shift is needed with respect to traditional studies on intangible capital, one that allows us to define, identify and map all the materials produced. The project being developed by the research team aims to investigate corporate cultural heritage through an ‘ecological’ approach, which seeks to organise what is commonly defined as ‘Made in Italy’ in a new way.

Per un approccio ecologico al patrimonio intangibile d’impresa Gli archivi e i musei aziendali

Alberto Bassi, Giulia Ciliberto, Maria Cristina Addis, Jacopo William de Denaro, Marco Scotti, in Design For Survival edited by Lucia Pietroni and Davide Turrini, Giunti, 2026

https://air.iuav.it/handle/11578/364076

A book explaining how we went from computers to AI, helping readers gain a deeper understanding of emerging technologies

When we understand new technologies, we are able to use them more effectively, avoid feeling overwhelmed and maintain control. While challenging, this task and goal are achievable. The task can be accomplished with the help of adequate knowledge tools, such as ‘Parlare agli algoritmi. Intelligenza artificiale: trent’anni di errori, scoperte e rivoluzioni’ (Talking to algorithms: thirty years of mistakes, discoveries and revolutions), a recently published book by Federico Neri.

There are three technological transformations to consider: first, the arrival of the computer; then, the internet; and now, artificial intelligence. This new technology is revolutionising the way we work and interact, and for the first time offers a glimpse into a future where machines may replace humans.

Neri guides readers along the path that has led much of humanity to its current technological state. This is a journey full of mistakes, but also of discoveries and revolutions, which can only be described with clarity and precision by those who have experienced much of it. In fact, the author is one of Italy’s pioneers in the application of AI to language. Having lived through thirty years of technological revolution as a first-hand witness, he is well placed to guide readers on a journey from the first symbolic rules of the nineties to modern Large Language Models, from university laboratories to secret meetings with intelligence services, and from the semantics of military patents to modern generative systems.

Neri’s book is not only an account of the evolution of algorithms; it is also a story of their creation, a book in which biography and technology are intertwined. There is one major difference compared to many other texts on the subject: in Neri’s work, science and technology are interwoven with emotions and humanity, the fears and hopes of the people behind every advance.

At a time when AI arouses both enthusiasm and legitimate fears, the insights of those who have ‘talked to algorithms’ for three decades can provide valuable guidance. They can help us to better understand artificial intelligence in all its aspects, from its technical foundations to its ethical implications. And that’s not all: Federico Neri’s book is also written in clear and often compelling language, which is another of its great strengths.

Parlare agli algoritmi. Intelligenza artificiale: trent’anni di errori, scoperte e rivoluzioni

Federico Neri

Laterza, 2026