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1980 - 1987 The German Period After the Partenopean interlude, Secretary General Malfatti decided for him for the far more important Embassy in Bonn. Luigi Vittorio and his wife Giovanna arrived in Bonn, on January 14, 1980, by train from Frankfurt (an original choice, to say the least) with the Intercity “Germania” and the Station Chief in full uniform waiting on the platform together with the Foreign Ceremonial and the Embassy's diplomatic staff! From 1980 to 1987 Luigi Vittorio, Ambassador in Bonn, travels all over the territory with very frequent visits everywhere, and talks with all the Länder Presidents, local personalities, many Mayors, and many important cultural institutes, such as the Bertelsmann Stiftung or the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. He frequently visits and lectures at almost all universities, where he is received with special attention especially because Herr Professor und Kollege, is the only Italian member of the Association of University Professors. He makes intensive political contacts there and also with political figures from Italy. Significant is his insertion into German politics and with frequent appearances on television and radio programs and very frequent interviews in newspapers as well as countless contributions to collected books (over a hundred) where his signature is sought after and appreciated. Indeed, he is a sought-after commentator and thus many speeches and lectures with continuous participation in the activities of cultural institutions, from Europa Union to Aspen or Koerner Stiftung or Bertelsmann Stiftung, as well as as an honored speaker in many important German institutions and press, radio and television interviews and frequent participation in talk-shows, for which he is a sought-after guest. He ensures his presence at fairs of all kinds with much appreciation from Italian exhibitors. After all, thanks to the prestige he acquired, such activity would continue even after he ceased to serve as Ambassador for a large part of the 1990s. From that period there are also numerous articles in political and scientific journals. Particular attention is paid to the communities of Italians, which he visits frequently and with personal success, especially in Wolfsburg, a city symbolic of the presence of Italian workers in Germany. He manages to establish direct contact with Italian communities no longer mediated by politicized organizations, which are considered unrepresentative. For the same reason he opposed the establishment of elected workers' committees, considering them useless, something that would find confirmation in the facts after his departure from Germany. A 'successful activity remembered even after many decades is summarized in a book of his in German, “Wenn schon denn schon,” which sold over ten thousand copies. On December 1, 1988, the book was presented in Bonn by Foreign Minister Genscher, an unusual recognition, and also cited by former Chancellors Schmidt and Kohl.

Coraggio! Fast fashion? No, thank you. Slow-Fashion, ethics and sustainability in the fashion business and for the next generation Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Enoteca Spiriti - P.za di Pietra Apartment, 32 - Rome A new meeting of Courage! was held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, organized by the Association of Friends of Luigi Vittorio Ferraris in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Foundation. Protagonist of the event was Simona Bertolotto , known as @sissiottostyle on Instagram, where she inspires nearly a million followers with her unique style and reflections on the world of fashion. The conversation, moderated by Gabriela Rostani, addressed a crucial and topical issue: “Fast Fashion? No, Thanks: Slow-Fashion, Ethics and Sustainability in the Fashion Business and for the New Generations.” Simona shared her personal experience and commitment to more responsible fashion, stimulating a rich and engaging dialogue. Heartfelt thanks were extended to the women present, whose contributions underscored the importance of valuing skills, traditions and innovation. The meeting highlighted how women are carriers of change and fundamental resources for investing in a sustainable future. This event confirmed itself as a moment of discussion on key issues that affect not only the fashion industry, but also the entire economic and social model. Photo credits: Simona Panzini

1967 - 1980 Helsinki and the CSCE In 1969 Luigi Vittorio was transferred to Rome, where he was assigned to the Directorate General of Political Affairs and was in charge of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Preparation for the CSCE involves intensive activity and frequent missions abroad, including with Ambassador Roberto Ducci. From the beginning of the conference in November 1972, this participation requires long stays in Helsinki first and then in Geneva between 1972 and 1975 as Deputy Head of the Italian Delegation. Years of intense work with numerous trips that forced him away from his family even for long periods. This work would flow into the volume “Testimonies of a Negotiation,” to this day still considered one of the main reference texts on the negotiations at the Helsinki Conference. Between 1975 and 1977 Luigi Vittorio accepted the post of Deputy Director General for Cultural Relations together with Ambassador Vittorio Cordero di Montezemolo, where he dealt with regulations in the educational and academic spheres and was engaged in a number of missions abroad including, significant for him, those in the German Democratic Republic and Canton Ticino. He was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary Second Class on December 22, 1972 and Minister Plenipotentiary First Class on June 3, 1977. At the suggestion of then Minister Boris Biancheri Chiappori, Secretary General Raimondo Manzini assigned him the General Directorate of Personnel. Luigi Vittorio filled his role with great determination even with respect to the union control then prevailing. His work is considered energetic and such that it left a mark: his determination and authority is recognized, thanks to which he obtained wide decision-making autonomy. From 1978 to 1982, Luigi Vittorio was appointed chairman of the First Commission of the Higher Council of Public Administration. In the meantime from the end of 1977 he took up a teaching position in Eastern European Political Institutions at the Oriental Institute in Naples, at the initiative of then Dean Luigi Ferrari Bravo and with the consent of Prof. Rita Di Leo. He held regular lectures despite commuting between Rome and Naples until he regretfully had to resign in 1983 due to incompatibility with Civil Service regulations.

Caffè Diplomatico A new European security architecture: from Helsinki to Ukraine Wednesday, 25 January, 2025 Online Diplomatic Coffee is the webinar series designed to address topics such as diplomacy and international relations. The meeting took place online, on the Zoom platform, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 5:00 pm. We had Ambassador Guido Lenzi as our guest speaker. The title of the webinar was "A New European Security Architecture: from Helsinki to Ukraine." Moderating the meeting was our member Federico Sergiani. Diplomatic Coffee is reserved for members only. For outside guests, it is possible to attend only one of the meetings, from the subsequent ones, membership in the Association will be required. To catch up with the meeting, we leave you the video of Ambassador Guido Lenzi's speech. If you are interested in participating in the upcoming webinars, please feel free to email us at: ass.amiciferraris@gmail.com Photo credits: Simona Panzini

Our projects Our Association promotes cultural, artistic and diplomatic initiatives, activities, meetings and projects. We are in dialogue with the local area and with national and international bodies in order to spread the voice, thought and values of Luigi Vittorio Ferraris. CORAGGIO! Caffè Diplomatico Peace and Future Christmas Concert CORAGGIO!

Coraggio! Women fleeing the war Monday, 14 March, 2022 Rooftoop of Palazzo Navona - Rome On Monday, March 14, 2022, the first meeting of Coraggio!, the format organized by the Associazione Amici di Luigi Vittorio Ferraris and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, was held at the Terrace of Palazzo Navona. During the event, in collaboration with the Community of Sant'Egidio, the latter's extraordinary work in welcoming women and children fleeing war, both in Italy and at the Polish-Ukrainian border, was presented. Evelina Martelli , head of the Community of Sant'Egidio's BRAVO! program, illustrated the network's commitment to offering concrete support and hope to those who have lost everything. A few days ago “International Women's Day” was celebrated, a moment that took on a profoundly different meaning this year. Everyone's thoughts went out to those suffering from war, forced to leave their homes, loved ones and lives. On this occasion, the need to build strong connections and support networks was emphasized, not only to help those in need today, but also to create a more supportive and resilient future.

1952 - 1962 Start of the Diplomatic Career He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 16, 1952, and was assigned to the General Directorate (DG) of Personnel, in the Secretariat of then Minister Maurilio Coppini, who had chosen him because he knew Russian. Coppini had been Consul in Kharkov, Ukraine in the 1930s. As was the practice at the Ministry, after a year he was sent for six months “volunteering” at the Consulate General in Munich. He attends the Salzsburg Seminar for American Studies for a month. In August 1953 he returns as scheduled to the Ministry and is assigned again to DG Personnel, and then briefly to the Press Service (during the Trieste crisis) and on March 1, 1954 again to DG Personnel. As the first overseas post he obtains the direction of a Vice Consulate Newark (NJ) in the United States, where he arrives on April 23, 1955. In the fall of 1956 he is seconded for a very short time to the Representation to the United Nations (Suez and Hungary crises). In May 1957 Luigi Vittorio is transferred to Ankara where he arrives on October 1, 1957. Luigi Vittorio is able to speak and write in Turkish. On July 10, 1959, then Minister Plenipotentiary Roberto Gaja, Head of Mission in Sofia, Bulgaria, offered to go with him to Sofia as number two. And once again the ease of learning languages will enable Luigi Vittorio to read and understand Bulgarian. In March 1962, Luigi Vittorio was called back to the Ministry in Rome, and assigned once again, at his explicit request, to DG Personnel.

1928 - 1945 First years Grandson of Luigi Felice (1813-1900), Senator of the Kingdom of Italy and Count. Son of Luigi Angelo (1887-1966), politician and essayist, and Maria Croce (1863-1985), a family originally from Sostegno (Biella). Luigi Vittorio spent his childhood and adolescence between Rome (until 1937), Turin (1937-1945) and Vaccarile, the family estate that represented a peaceful oasis all his life and that he always considered his true home, being deeply tied to this land. From childhood, thanks to his parents' initiative, he learned German and French. During Gymnasium he learned English and Russian. Over the years he nurtured his passion for other cultures, also learning Romanian, Spanish, Turkish, Polish, and Bulgarian, and he also approached Dutch and Finnish. In 1945, he was exempted from attending his final year of high school and then from taking the baccalaureate exam, thus earning his high school diploma at the age of 17.

The Association The Cultural Associazione Amici di Luigi Vittorio Ferraris, to be considered nonpartisan, apolitical and respecting all religious principles, non-profit, was founded in Rome in 2021 by the will of family members, friends and admirers of Luigi Vittorio Ferraris as an everlasting testimony to the contribution of thought and works he made in the moral, political and diplomatic fields, in Italy and abroad. Mission The Association aims to promote and encourage, in Italy and abroad, three aspects that have always been very dear to Prof. Amb. Ferraris: Studies in the field of international relations, humanities and social sciences. The activities of training, tutoring and mentoring. The activities and commitment to young people both in the area of studies and in the area of getting them into the world of work. Board of Directors Dr. Alessandra Gatta - President Dr. Silke Schmitt - President Dr. Federico Sergiani - Vice president Hon. Prof. Emanuela del Re - Honorary President Hon. Giuseppe Moles - Honorary President Dr. Agnese Barberi - Secretary General Dr. Fabrizio Frinolli - Treasurer Dr. Marina Petteruti Romano - Councilor CONTACT US at: ass.amiciferraris@gmail.com Read our Statute Statute

Projects Our Association promotes cultural, artistic and diplomatic initiatives, activities, meetings and projects. We are in dialogue with the local area and with national and international bodies in order to spread the voice, thought and values of Luigi Vittorio Ferraris. Our Association works both on its own projects and in collaboration with partner organizations, sharing common values and goals. Our projects Discover Projects in collaboration Discover