Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Mr Mayor, Mr Prefect, dear family members present,

Milan today pays homage and honors some of its most illustrious citizens. Milanese by birth or adoption who, with their work, their commitment to society and their example, have made a unique contribution to the civil, moral and material growth of our city.
The Famedio was born for this: to preserve and transmit the memory of a Milan that is admired and appreciated throughout the world for its ability to innovate, to create beauty, to express civil commitment.
But the greatness of a city is not anonymous: it arises from the name and personal history of those who built it over the centuries and this is what the men and women remembered in the Famedio represent for Milan.
The citizens who will be remembered here from today are personalities who express the city as a whole, in its many different sensitivities that have shaped its history and evolution over the years. 
Many of them are women: it is a recognition of the role, too often silenced in the past, of women in the history and life of our community.
These are people who have dedicated the best of themselves to their work, to science, to art, to political or social commitment; people who tenaciously pursued a dream or an ideal and made sure that their intuition took shape for the benefit of everyone.

In the Famedio we honor the living: alive because they love life, alive in us, in what we have become thanks to them. Live because they are still capable of acting in the city today, of still inspiring our commitment, of moving us and showing us new objectives, new goals.

The health and social emergency we are experiencing makes the tribute to the 10 men and 8 women now registered in the Memorial Cemetery of the Monumental Cemetery even more significant. 
To overcome this health and social emergency we need the best unity and energy in Milan. The example of such illustrious fellow citizens gives us strength in such a severe crisis. A comfort that I hope to convey in the few, necessarily too brief, biographical notes of the Milanese men and women that we remember today:

CLAUDIA ARTONI: Psychotherapist, author of numerous volumes on child psychology and scientific publications, honorary judge of the Juvenile Court, she has helped many young Milanese people suffering from psychological problems and serious communication disabilities to overcome the trauma of abandonment. 

CINI BOERI: Architect and designer, recognized for her civil commitment, for having been a partisan relay and for the contribution given to the reconstruction of our city in the difficult years that followed the Second World War. She managed to emerge as a professional in a world that until then had only been the prerogative of men, receiving very important international recognition. With her ingenuity and creativity she has designed design objects, single-family homes, offices, shops and numerous other creations, dedicating great attention to the study of the functionality of space.

FRANCESCO SAVERIO BORRELLI: He entered the judiciary at the age of just 27, carrying out almost all of his service as a magistrate in Milan, until becoming Attorney General at the Court of Appeal of our city. For 11 years he led the Milanese prosecutors by coordinating the Mani Pulite pool. His work gave concrete answers to the need for legality of the Milanese and Italians, making justice and legality the beacon of his life. Having abandoned his toga in 2002, he was able to dedicate himself with commitment to his great passion: music, becoming president of the Milan Conservatory.

GIULIA MARIA CRESPI: Entrepreneur and protagonist of the cultural and social life of our city, with a very strong environmental sensitivity. You brought an innovative contribution to Corriere della Sera. We remember her above all for being the founder and soul of FAI, the Italian Environment Fund, which has as its aim the protection and valorisation of artistic and naturalistic assets, the sensitization of people to the value of the landscape and monumental heritage and the mobilization of the population to protect the landscape at risk.

PHILIPPE DAVERIO: Art historian, essayist and popularizer, university professor, specialized in 90th century Italian art, former councilor of the Municipality of Milan for Culture, Leisure, Education and International Relations in the XNUMXs. The dissemination of Philippe Daverio's art has enriched the lives of many of our fellow citizens and millions of Italians who got to know him through the television programs he hosted, managed to get closer to the public without ever lowering the tone of the content. 

FRANCESCA DENDENA: President of the Association of Family Members of the Victims of the Piazza Fontana massacre, in which her father Piero lost, she fought with determination to obtain justice by conducting a long civil battle. Even after the disappointing conclusion of the trial, you continued to spread, especially among the younger generations, the memory of the causes and responsibilities of that attack, transforming pain into a commitment to memory.

GIULIO GIORELLO: Philosopher of science, university professor, he was one of the liveliest animators of the Italian philosophical debate of recent decades. He investigated the theme of secularism, not only in content but also as a method, he explored the relationship between the scientific and political revolutions, and the main contemporary epistemological issues.

VITTORIO GREGOTTI: Urban planner, university professor and architect. The work of Vittorio Gregotti, starting from the works created in our city, has left an indelible mark in the history of contemporary architecture, showing the world Milan's ability to create innovative art linked to local culture. 

GIOVANNI GREPPI: From the buildings of Cariplo and BPM to the buildings of via Statuto or piazza Piemonte, Giovanni Greppi has embellished Milan. His most famous works are the military shrines of Redipuglia and Monte Grappa in which his style, a synthesis of essentiality, functionality and rationalism, is recognisable. He is the architect who contributed most to the restoration of the Famedio. 

EUGENIO MONTI COLLA: Heir to the famous Milanese puppetry tradition and illustrious protagonist of the entertainment world of our city, he has spread the art of puppetry throughout the world, making adults and children dream. His passionate work has contributed to consolidating a glorious tradition which today is kept alive by new generations of puppeteers, to whom he himself has managed to pass on a heritage of technical expertise, love as well as passion for this ancient art.

GIANNI MURA: Journalist, historic journalist for Repubblica, and writer, known for his ability to make sporting emotions even more compelling, he was one of the most followed names in Italian information, from football to cycling to the Olympics, Gianni Mura has written a cultured, refined and popular sports novel. 

GRAZIA NIDASIO: One of the best-known cartoonists and illustrators on the Italian scene. Grazia Nidasio brought comics to new artistic heights, with characters such as Violante Rock, Valentina Mela Verde and Stefi, who remained in the memory of several generations. Her work has contributed to the affirmation of comics as a form of artistic expression, fascinating and inspiring generations of readers.

 MARIA PEREGO: Television writer and animation artist, we owe one of the most beloved puppets in the world, Topo Gigio, to her genius. Baptized in the television studios of Milan, and adored by millions of children. Thanks to her creativity and the worldwide fame of Topo Gigio, Maria Perego has received many awards, spreading the most creative and talented Italian 'genius' throughout the world. 

UMBERTO QUINTAVALLE: Brilliant entrepreneur, he led one of the main Italian employment agencies, Quanta. Thanks to its passion for sport, Milan has established itself as the most successful city in in-line hockey, with HC Milano Quanta. Milan is grateful for having given employment to thousands of people and having made a great contribution to the city's sport. 

RICCARDO SARFATTI: Protagonist of the academic, economic and institutional life of Milan and our region. He was an esteemed professor of architecture at the Polytechnic, a valued councilor of the Lombardy Region, an innovative design entrepreneur in the lighting field, first carrying on the family business and then founding Luceplan, one of the most innovative companies in Italian design. Riccardo Sarfatti he can be remembered for his tireless commitment, generosity and attention to the common good.

GIORGIO SQUINZI AND ADRIANA SPAZOLI: Couple in life and work. Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli are symbols of the great tradition of the Milanese family business. Thanks to their ingenuity, Mapei is one of the leading companies in chemical products for the construction industry worldwide. The couple has been busy sponsoring both cycling and Italian football, managing to bring them to high levels, as well as supporting culture. In fact, Mapei is, among others, a founding member of La Scala.

FRANCA VALERI: She was one of the most representative figures of twentieth-century Italian cinema, theater and TV. Cultured, passionate about music and opera, she was a playwright, screenwriter and the first Italian actress-author to write her own lyrics. Her art, admired at every latitude, redeemed Italy, which had forced her to hide her Jewish origins to avoid the persecution of Nazi-fascism.

The members of Famedio renew a powerful message. The strength of Milan is the values ​​that its citizens realize in their actions. In 2020, the Famedio Honors Commission unanimously recognized this message, which applies to the Milanese of today and tomorrow. Openness, hospitality, civic and social commitment, freedom, industriousness and spirit of initiative, innovation and creativity, solidarity and brotherhood have made the 18 names just mentioned worthy of the eternal honor of the Famedio. 

Today more than ever this ceremony, this place and these names - alive - strengthen in all of us the awareness of being part of a single community where everyone works and is committed to realizing their dreams and ambitions, contributing at the same time with one's uniqueness to progress and the common good.