Eni’s commitment to the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Benedetto in Norcia was born from the desire to contribute, with skills, resources and vision, to the rebirth of a symbolic place for Italian and European history and spirituality. On 18 January 2021, in full agreement between all the institutions involved, a technical sponsorship agreement was signed with the aim of supporting the reconstruction of the Basilica through the use of economic resources and contributions of a high professional and organizational profile, alongside the Extraordinary Commissioner for Reconstruction and the Ministry of Culture – the Archdiocese of Spoleto and Norcia, the Umbria Region and the Municipality of Norcia, through an alliance that led public and private bodies in a shared strategic vision.
On the basis of this agreement, Eni – through its subsidiary Eniservizi – assumed the role of technical sponsor, supporting the Ministry in coordination and project management activities during the reconstruction phases of the Basilica of San Benedetto.
A moment of great technical and symbolic value was the recovery and cataloging of the “stones” of the Basilica, preserved in the Santa Scolastica warehouse, where Eniservizi supported the Superintendency in the logistics and organization of the fragments. A meticulous work that transformed each stone into a piece of memory, giving it an active role in the rebirth process.
The more direct and broader involvement of Eniservizi then materialized with the execution of the restoration works and artistic-architectural re-presentation of the decorative and religious elements of the Basilica. This meticulous work, and careful to respect the guiding principles for the reconstruction of the Basilica, was possible thanks to the supervision and guidance of the Superintendence and the Ministry of Culture, supported by a team of professional specialists in the various sectors involved and by excellence in the field of construction and restoration of architectural and artistic heritage.
As part of the agreement, Eni also committed to ensuring constant and progressive communication with the community for the entire duration of the project. Through the website dedicated to the reconstruction, Eni shared with the community the progress of the works and the stories of the “living stones”, while the public events and educational activities of Eni Scuola involved citizens and students in experiences of knowledge and discovery. In this way, communication has become an integral part of the rebirth project: a space for dialogue and shared memory, based on transparency, participation and valorisation of cultural heritage as a living asset.
A central and particularly dear element was the involvement of the children of Norcia, as new generations, more authentic custodians of this heritage and narrators of the rebirth. Eni has in fact involved the youngest in the decoration of the construction site’s paneling, which has now become a collective fresco of the city and its vision of the future.
In collaboration with Eni Scuola, the students were also protagonists in the creation of three documentaries dedicated to the history, memory and future of the Basilica, which will be screened in the square on November 1st, as part of the initiatives planned to celebrate the reopening of the Basilica.
Eni’s commitment to Norcia is part of a broader path that has seen the company as a protagonist for years in the protection and enhancement of Italian cultural heritage, through restoration projects and technical support. Among these, the interventions in favor of the Milan Cathedral, the Basilica of Collemaggio all’Aquila and other sites of high artistic and symbolic value, where the synergy between innovation, responsibility and culture has made the rebirth of the country’s identifying places possible.
Norcia today represents the continuity of this commitment: a virtuous example of how industrial skills and cultural sensitivity can converge in a common project. For Eni, participating in the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Benedetto meant and means combining the strength of doing with the strength of telling, transforming technique into a gesture of care and communication into an instrument of shared memory and hope.