Bruno Vespa, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, Giovanna Botteri, Francesca Fagnani, Francesco Vezzoli, Pasquale Di Palmo, Nada Skaff, Gabriele Guzzi and Nicola Laneri are among the winners of the XXXVIII Edition of the Laurentum Prize, dedicated to Poetry and Art. The awards ceremony took place today in the Sala della Regina of the Chamber of Deputies in Palazzo di Montecitorio. “The commitment to the diffusion of culture and the social vocation has been rewarded, with names of the highest prestige”, underlines the director of the award Roberto Sergio. “Honored that once again this year Siae – Italian Society of Authors and Publishers is concretely at of the Laurentum Prize”, adds Sergio.
With the brilliant hosting of Clelia Patella and Giordano Fatali, the Laurentum Prize award ceremony saw the participation of all the recipients of the most prestigious awards.
The Laurentum Lifetime Achievement Award – 2024 Edition was awarded to Bruno Vespa, “an exceptional witness – underlines Sergio – of Italian history and a pillar of television journalism. Through decades of career, he has been able to illuminate the most significant events of our country with a professionalism that makes him a master in his field. His commitment to fair and insightful journalism reflects the noblest values of our public service.”
The Award Jury, chaired by Gianni Letta and composed of Angelo Bucarelli, Corrado Calabrò, Luca di Bartolomeo, Simona Izzo, Paolo Lagazzi, Davide Rondoni and Roberto Sergio, then decided to award the Laurentum Award for Culture – 2024 Edition to Pietrangelo Buttafuoco . “It is with great admiration that the Laurentum Cultural Center awards Pietrangelo Buttafuoco the Laurentum Prize for Culture for 2024”, comments Roberto Sergio. “The recognition represents a tribute to his invaluable contribution to our cultural heritage. With his incisive writing, his refined eloquence and his commitment to raising issues of social and political relevance, Buttafuoco continues to be a crucial and stimulating voice in the Italian cultural panorama”.
“The Laurentum Award”, states Giovanni Tarquini, President of the Laurentum Cultural Centre, “has also decreed to award Giovanna Botteri the Laurentum Award for Excellence in International Journalism – 2024 Edition with profound respect and admiration. Her exceptional career, characterized by courage and integrity, has illuminated theaters of global crises with a unique depth, making her one of the most respected figures in investigative journalism. This award celebrates his tireless pursuit of truth and his commitment to telling stories that shape our understanding of the world.”
“I am extremely proud”, comments Sergio, “of the Courage in Journalism Award – 2024 Edition to Francesca Fagnani. Through the book ‘Mala Roma Criminale’, he exemplified investigative journalism of exceptional depth, courageously tackling the intricate criminal networks of the Capital. His commitment to uncovering hidden truths reinforces the importance of journalism in exposing and challenging injustices.”
“It fills us with pride,” continues Tarquini, “to award the Laurentum ‘Contemporary Icon’ Award to Francesco Vezzoli, recognizing him as one of the most influential and innovative artists of our time. His creative genius is expressed through works that expertly navigate the boundaries between art, cinema and pop culture, challenging traditional perceptions and inviting deep reflection on media reality and its influence. With this award, we celebrate Vezzoli’s revolutionary impact on the global art scene and his ability to transform the visual into a critical dialogue between eras and cultures.”
The XXXVIII Prize for poetry was awarded to Pasquale Di Palmo, a well-known poet and literary critic, awarded by the well-known writer member of the jury Paolo Lagazzi; while the XIV Dante Alighieri Prize, born from the idea of another illustrious juror, the poet Davide Rondoni, went to Nada Skaff, an internationally renowned Lebanese poet.
The Laurentum-SIAE “Young Talents” Poetry Prize goes to Gabriele Guzzi whose work “questions the experiences of life by seeking metaphor, short circuiting of meanings, sounds not exhibited but internal to the verses, on questions of personal life and common.”
“As SIAE we renew our support for the Laurentum Prize year after year, which for 38 editions has worked to identify and celebrate those who know how to translate the emotions and challenges of our time into words. We can never reward creativity enough, the entirely human ability to bring us closer to the dream: the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers has the mission of protecting and safeguarding that creativity and that dream, also by supporting projects aimed at valorising the beautiful profession of the author”, declared the President of the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers, Salvatore Nastasi.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Laurentum Special Prize “Save the Cultural Heritage” 2024 Edition to the archaeologist Nicola Laneri. Fabrizio Conti, Creative Director of Artcloud Network International, promoter of the recognition, in collaboration with the Laurentum Cultural Centre, declared: “In a social context like the current one, with wars which see in culture the symbols to be demolished, the memory of the past it becomes an instrument of rebirth and development. Our recognition embodies the very essence of Laurentum, which celebrates Culture as the engine of the world. In fact, I want to thank the Cultural Center that I have had the honor of supporting for over 20 years, for having enthusiastically welcomed our proposal last year. And it is a source of great pride for me to award the Save the Cultural Heritage award to Nicola Laneri, an Italian excellence who has distinguished himself internationally for his extraordinary and incessant commitment to protecting cultural heritage. With Prof. Laneri we celebrate the Great Archeology capable of bringing to light the origins of ancient civilisations, passing down historical memory and transforming culture into a vehicle for development and rebirth, especially in countries torn apart by war”.
To date, the Laurentum Prize has obtained important institutional recognition: the Medals of the President of the Republic, the Medals of the President of the Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies, as well as the patronage of numerous institutions and bodies, including: the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Senate of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, University and Research, the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Lazio Region, the Province of Rome, the Municipality of Rome Department of Cultural Policies, the IX Municipality (ex XII), Chamber of Commerce of Rome, Federlazio, the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities, the Accademia della Crusca, the Tor Vergata University – Faculty of Letters, the Free University Santissima Assunta (Lumsa) – Faculty of Letters, the Roma Caput Mundi Association, the Luce and Zetema Institute.
Intesa Sanpaolo collaborated in the creation of the awards ceremony while the Adnkronos press agency is the media partner.