How the "Fondazione Enrico and Enrica Sovena" was created

In the late eighties I received an invitation to an informal round table discussion at the home of my friends, Enrico and Enrica Sovena.
The topic of discussion was the destiny of all their possessions "post mortem." It was on that very occasion that Prof. Sovena had the idea of creating a foundation to help young post-graduate scholars pursue their scientific and professional goals in the various branches of medicine and surgery, as well as in biological, and in particular, pharmacological research.
That same evening, he also decided to found other charitable organizations. I was kindly asked to accept, in addition to my role as board member of the foundation, that of the executor of their will, this charge being, as it were, an hereditary one, as I had performed the same task for their close relatives.
Shortly thereafter Enrica Tansini Sovena passed away. It was now up to the surviving member of the couple to implement the initial idea of the foundation and also carry out the remaining provisions expressed in the will of his prematurely departed consort. After thorough initial research, Enrico Sovena set to work out the foundation's goals and its charter.
He gathered and acquired knowledge from experts and friends who were themselves already the founders of other foundations. In June 1990 he registered the foundation's articles of incorporation with the notary public Dr. Monaco, and Antonio Catalano's law firm filed the application for legal recognition of the Enrico and Enrica Sovena Foundation as an "Ente Morale"(non-profit organisation).

At the same time and following the other provisions in the will, Enrico Sovena needed to seek out where the bequest, already established by his consort and generally designed to benefit charitable church institutions, could be best used. With the present writer's collaboration, Prof. Sovena considered various options. In the end, he chose the College of "Villa Nazareth"(1), , an institution founded by Cardinal Tardini with perspectives and purposes that were both complementary to and in accordance with those adopted by the recently set up Enrico and Enrica Sovena Foundation.
Being acquainted with the Head of "Villa Nazareth", His Eminence Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, I was put in the position of being an intermediary between the Cardinal and Enrico Sovena, who found the charitable work of the ecclesiastical institution suited his purposes and those of his deceased consort. The beneficiary of the bequest thus became final, and would be administered by the undersigned, as executor.
However, Enrico Sovena's desire for charitable work was not yet satisfied as his interest in supporting and sustaining such activities remained keen and heart-felt. Thus he endowed the Enrica Tansini Scholarship in memory of his consort. This scholarship would be awarded to graduates in literature, philosophy, history, architecture, engineering and similar subjects in her native city of Cremona; the topics of study would be the history and the art history of the city.
A few years before he passed away, Enrico Sovena lent an attentive ear when I suggested he initiate another humanitarian project, once again for young adults. He believed in it and provided the necessary initial financing. It was "a project rigorously thought out" by a colleague of mine, Prof. Bruno Silvestrini. This was the beginning of "Noopolis"(2), an institution which is now divided into two branches (association and foundation). It has set up a scholarship data bank connected to universities and is now in a position to be self-financing and carry out many other humanitarian activities.
After these decisions were made, Enrico Sovena was mostly occupied with the Foundation. He made his final provision for an endowment in his wil(3) 3 bequeathing all his possessions to the Foundation - except for a legacy to the City Council of Orvieto(4), his native city. Enrico Sovena's premature death on 18 December 1990 rendered it impossible for the founder to see his foundation legally recognized as an "Ente Morale" as this goal was achieved at the end of 1993.
The Foundation was able to get off the ground and begin its activities only in 1994 after all the provisions in the will were carried out and the necessary bureaucratic obligations fulfilled.

Dario Piccinelli
President of the "Fondazione Enrico ed Enrica Sovena"

Top

NOTES

1) Villa Nazareth is the seat of the Comunità Domenico Tardini Onlus Foundation. The idea for this college came from a project put together by Cardinal Domenico Tardini, and it involves giving support to young talented students without financial means by offering them a culturally rich education in all branches of study and encouraging them to live according to Christian values. Every year the college welcomes high-school students of both sexes free of charge, subject to an entrance examination. They later receive help in finding employment and applying to post-graduate specialisation courses with research institutions or at various departments of leading international organisations.
The Comunità Domenico Tardini Onlus College is recognised by M.U.R.S.T.

Villa Nazareth Via Domenico Tardini, 35 - 00167 Roma
tel +39-06666971 - fax 066621754 - e-mail ftardini@tin.it
(back to text)

2) The Noopolis project was the object of animated discussions among a group of friends of various walks of life (university professors, professionals, representatives of the public and private sectors) who all shared the same desire to carry out humanitarian work of a well-articulated and long-lasting nature. This project could have been completed a long time before since this group of friends certainly had the financial means to do so, but since it did not elicit sufficient support and financing, it did not manage to get off the ground. It was only when Prof. Sovena donated a substantial sum of money that this group of friends saw their dreams become reality.

"Noopolis" Via Domenico Tardini, 35 - 00167 Roma - tel./fax 0039-6-6633103
internet http://noopolis.cpr.it - E-mail Noopolis@flashnet.it (back to text)

3) From the last will and testament
Omissis…
"The undersigned Enrico Sovena, born in Orvieto on 22 February 1904, residing in Rome in Via Giacinta Pezzana, 13, hereby revokes all former provisions and determines that at the moment of his death all his possessions are to be bequeathed to the soon-to-be-established Enrico and Enrica Sovena Foundation.
This Foundation shall have the aim of offering every year one or more scholarships to graduates in medicine and surgery and possibly in other medical disciplines in order to allow them to complete, further and broaden their studies and research in medicine and surgery. I appoint Prof. Dario Piccinelli, born in Brescia on 18 September 1923, working at the University of Rome, residing in Via Asmara 9B, Rome, Chairman of the Enrico and Enrica Sovena Foundation and, should he not be able to perform his duties, Prof. Francesco Gismundo, resident in Rome, Via Lemonia 205, and Dr. Elio Giambelli, resident in Rome, Via Giacinta Pezzana 131. The scholarships will be awarded by a Committee in the persons of Prof. Dario Piccinelli, Committee Chairman, and by three graduates in medicine and surgery, chosen on the basis of an evaluation of their credentials and publications. I desire that a scholarship be assigned every three years to the medical staff of City Hospital of Orvieto".
Omissis…
(back to text)

N.B.
Completion of the inventory revealed that Prof. Sovena had bequeathed to his native city a considerable artistic patrimony including over 120 paintings, 13 sculptures in bronze, wood and clay, 26 Persian carpets, antique furniture and Chinese porcelain.
Among the bronze sculptures "L'Atleta" (The Athlete) by Francesco Messina and "Ritratto della Moglie" (Portrait of his wife) by Dossena, and several small bronzes by Miranda are worth mentioning. Well-known modern painters represented in the collection include Cascella, Omiccioli, Enotrio, Trombadori, Guttuso, Mafai and Aceto. In addition, there are paintings by De Nittis, Manet, Silvestro Lega, and others from the 1600's and 1700's, such as those depicting the "Deposizione di Cristo" (Deposition of Christ) of the Bolognese school, the "Vergine e i 3 Magi" (The Virgin and the Three Magi), and a painting from the 1500's attributed to Cardellino. Moreover, the collection includes several splendid pieces of antique Lombard furniture from the Maggiolini school.

Top