The Opificio Golinelli opens its doors today and the great vision of Marino Golinelli's life and work thus finds complete implementation. It is a utopia made of bricks, gardens, laboratories, spaces, games, computers, training programmes, children, teachers, collaborators, resources and the future. It is a dream come true to which the Emilian philanthropist has recently donated another 30 million euros, bringing the capital of the Foundation that bears his surname from 51 million to 81 million, with a Trust that guarantees its destination.
Golinelli, in spite of his splendidly worn 95 years, looks far ahead, at least 50 years old and the program to which he intends to devote his resources is called Opus 2065 and serves to provide teachers and young people with "an adequate toolbox". With these beautiful news this morning the doors of the "citadel of knowledge" will open, in via Nanni Costa in Bologna, 9000 square meters of industrial area restored with 12 million euros. It starts at 11, but the highlight will be at 13 with greetings from Golinelli himself, from whom it would be nice to snatch the secret of such a long and happily prolific life of ideas, enterprises, facts, generosity.
Marino Golinelli's biography could be divided into two: the years in which he worked to build his company, Alfa Wassermann, and make it big; the years in which he began to invest in young people, with the same goal, to provide them with the tools to grow, intellectually and professionally.
Saturday 3 October and Sunday 4 will thus celebrate not only the place that will henceforth bring together the activities of the Foundation (school of ideas; science in practice; business garden; science in the square; educating to educate; art, science and knowledge ), but also its creator, a man capable of giving body and soul to his vision of the world.
This is the programme. Today we start at 11, with a discussion on "The Golinelli Foundation's commitment to schools and teachers". Admission is free, subject to availability. The director Antonio Danieli will open the proceedings, who will introduce the world of the Foundation and the Opificio, and Giorgia Bellentani, Coordinator of the project area "Educare a Educare", who will go into detail about the 2015/16 programs and training opportunities for teaching in the classroom and in the laboratory. Tomorrow we start again from 15.
