Serafino Monini

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:49:58 +0000
Num. 35

Ferrara and a leading engineer during extraordinary years

The city of Ferrara made a qualitative leap forward in the early seventies and has since become known throughout the world. Certain moments of this process are extremely important: the imposition of limited and rigorous planning permission within the city centre since 1978;

the Gallery of Modern Art in the Palazzo dei Diamanti which presents premieres of the world's greatest contemporary artists; the start of the grand design for the restoration of the Renaissance city walls; the active and vital presence of "Italia Nostra", who, together with Giorgio Bassani in Rome and Paolo Ravenna in Ferrara, manage to obtain total planning constraint in the land between the city and the Po, which will become the city's large 'green' area. These important highlights were accompanied by a series of initiatives and activities that have made Ferrara the centre of civic and cultural life of the entire region. It was during this period that we find the work of Serafino Monini (1925-1994), renowned engineer, builder, organizer and political protagonist of these extraordinary years. His first contribution to the cultural and political life of Ferrara was when it was decided that a percentage of the funding for housing to be built by inaCasa would be used to restore and rehabilitate old, but artistically worthy houses. Monini worked on this project personally and was the first in Ferrara to renovate old houses and palaces, that were attractive but in a bad state of repair, and then return them to the tenants at a fair rent. Monini followed this project for over fifteen years and then accepted an assignment from the Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio: the complete restoration of the Crema Palace, the Foundation's head office.

All this work did not prevent a firm political commitment, which was mainly carried out in the Provincial Administration, where he was also commissioner for culture.

Monini was also involved with the activities of Luciano Chiappini. As a Catholic, Chiappini was active in the historic battle on the referendum on divorce. The brave stance of the "Catholics for NO" group profoundly bonded the friendship between Monini and Chiappini which, despite their different characters and inclinations, accompanied them to the end of their lives. Serafino Monini was thus the first Catholic to play a leading role in the political life of a city that had always been governed by parties on the left of the political spectrum. In the late eighties and early nineties a particular sensitivity to the problems of children and families was felt in Ferrara. Serafino Monini understood the urgency of creating an ad hoc institution, and then started looking for a suitable space for a structure that could be used full time for this purpose. The proposal was to restore the living area in the monumental aqueduct in Piazza xxiv Maggio, thereby also helping to revitalize the monument. Subsequently, in 1992, the "L'Isola del Tesoro" Family Centre was created, which transformed the abandoned drinking water reservoir into a huge "plaything", providing services and initiatives for children and parents, which is now looked upon with great interest by the entire region. Two years later Serafino Monini died leaving a great void in the political culture of the city, but a strong testimony of commitment and rigor that has continued to bear fruit in time.