Brothers. An Italian Family: Santo Versace’s Book Presented
Santo Versace 's book "Fratelli. Una famiglia italiana" published by Rizzoli, which retraces the history of a family and an entrepreneurial and cultural project that has had a profound impact on a global scale, was presented in the Aula Magna Quaroni of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea.
The meeting opened with institutional greetings from Rector Giuseppe Zimbalatti: “ It is a source of pride to have Santo Versace as a fellow citizen and to have him as a guest at our University for the presentation of his book. The history of the Versace family - underlined Rector Zimbalatti - should be studied from school and passed on to our students to demonstrate that Calabria can have great men and great families capable of establishing themselves on a global level but of maintaining their roots strong. A highly formative story, a stimulus for young people to believe in their own possibilities, to combine hard work and success, perseverance and dream ”. Rector Zimbalatti added: “ We would have liked to give an honorary degree in memory of Gianni Versace because it seemed to us an authentic way to remember the most illustrious citizen of Reggio ever, but it is not possible to confer honors post mortem ”.
Several messages were addressed in particular to the new generations, focusing on the authentic values embodied by the Versace family. “ A family that has transformed creativity into economic value and today shows Calabria the way to build its own development. This book represents a precious testimony for our young people, who in these stories can find not only inspiration but also tools to imagine their own future, without ever forgetting where they come from, ” highlighted Professor Domenico Marino . “ A book of great sincerity and courage that transmits passion and creativity to young people because it is not only important to give lessons and teach all the techniques but to understand how things are born ,” relaunched Professor Francesco Armato , coordinator of the Degree Course in Design at Università Mediterranea. “ Gianni and Santo had a unique imprint: with creativity and marketing they enhanced and ferried Made in Italy into the future, constituting a business model with profound values, rooted in the South but of global relevance ,” pointed out Francesco Cicione , president of Entopan.
The meeting, moderated by journalist Giuseppe Smorto , recalled family values, the culture of work and the evolution of a company that has become a global symbol of Made in Italy. “ With Gianni’s death ,” Santo Versace admitted, “ a part of me has gone and only thanks to the strength that my wife gave me was I able to start over, with this book that was born from the desire to tell where we come from, with sincerity and gratitude. It is the story of a deep bond, that between brothers, with our parents and with Calabria, which is home for us even when we are far away. My life has been a journey driven by love and family values: work, dedication, responsibility .” “ Fratelli is a book that preserves the memory of a family history, made of roots and authenticity. The same values that ,” concluded Francesca De Stefano Versace, “ inspired the birth of the Santo Versace Foundation, which I like to call “the son we never had,” created to offer a listening ear, dignity and opportunities to those who live in a state of fragility and solitude .”
