Giorgina Venosta – Portraits: Giorgina and animals
My mother Giorgina Venosta and her second husband Aldo Bassetti, also as FGV councillors, were among the first in Italy to combine solidarity and love for animals by financing the 'Progetto Arca' initiative, a house in Milan to house homeless people with animals. 'Cascina Vita Nova' is dedicated to the memory of their mother.
Giorgina Venosta – Portraits: Giorgina and Art
My mother loves art, becomes an expert, makes it her job. She also puts solidarity into her passion for art: a close friend of Giulia Maria Crespi, founder of FAI - Fondo per l'ambiente italiano, she contributes generously to its activities and finances important restorations.
Giorgina Venosta – Portraits: Giorgina and Guido Venosta Somarè
After the separation from my father Bernardo, my mother found a valuable companion for a long time in Guido Somarè, a talented painter like his brother Sandro. The latter has a house in Greece, and regularly hosts his brother with his mother and us children, my sister Violetta and I; we spend happy times here.
Giorgina Venosta – Portraits: Giorgina and Aldo Bassetti
When my mother met Aldo Bassetti, her marriage to my father Bernardo went into crisis and the two separated. She and Aldo later break up, only to meet again in 1983 and never leave each other again. When Giorgina dies in 2021, Aldo does not survive her for long, joining her the following year.
Guido Venosta – childhood, education and football
My grandfather Guido Venosta was born in 1911 in Milan, to Giuseppe, an engineer and future general manager of the Pirelli factory in Milan, and Argia Neri. Guido played football passionately, and he often met players, some of whom worked at Pirelli and played for the still young AC Milan, founded in 1899.
Guido Venosta – his father and Pirelli
My great-grandfather Giuseppe Venosta (1880 - 1939), an engineer, spent his entire working life at Pirelli until he was appointed General Manager in 1938, a few months before his death. Grandfather Guido was very close to him, and his death deeply upset him.
Guido Venosta – the importance of English
My great-grandfather Giuseppe believes that his son must learn English perfectly, the language of the future. He therefore decides that his son should spend all of his high school and high school summer holidays in England, with a family. Guido returns 'anglicised', rich in experience.
Guido Venosta – military service
After graduating from high school, my grandfather Guido Venosta fulfilled his military obligation. Wanting to join the cavalry, he attended the officer school in Pinerolo, then was assigned to the Savoia Cavalry, where he developed the great passion for riding that would accompany him throughout his life.
Guido Venosta – university studies: Cambridge and Pavia
After completing his military service, my grandfather, Guido Venosta, enrolled at Cambridge University in England, whose school of economics is internationally renowned. At the same time he studied law at the University of Pavia, and within a few years he graduated from both universities.
Guido Venosta – father’s death: turning point in life
Within 10 years, between 1939 and 1949, my grandfather Guido Venosta's father and mother died of what was then considered an invincible disease, cancer. This had a tremendous impact on Guido, laying the foundations for the feeling that, more than 20 years later, would lead him to become involved in AIRC.
