A century of Scalfari in 100 very special portraits. The book on newsstands

Is there a better way to remember someone than through their words? Yes, placing them alongside those of those who built a dream together with him. He was born on April 6th one hundred years ago Eugenio Scalfari, the founder of Republic, the newspaper that has changed the way of doing journalism since 1976. And if tomorrow at 7pm at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, the playwright Stefano Massini will give Scalfari’s voice again in the show Italy according to Eugenio. Chronicles of the end of the millenniumarrives on newsstands on the centenary day 100 times Scalfari (pages 272, plus 24 with color photos, €9.90 plus the price of the newspaper). A special volume full of love: because it was edited by his nephew Simone Viola. One hundred mini-portraits, one hundred pieces of a mosaic to reconstruct the extraordinary story of the inventor of newspapers: from Maurizio Molinari to Ezio Mauro, from Massimo Giannini to Corrado Augias, from Natalia Aspesi to Concita De Gregorio, from Renzo Arbore to Roberto Benigni, from Simonetta Fiori to Giuliano Amato.

Grandson Simone Viola opens the collection by recalling when at two years old, in front of the little Tibetan goat in the Bio Parco in Rome, he exclaimed «grandfather» in front of that creature with the white beard: «For the others he was “Barbapapà”, for me “Barbanonno”». Maurizio Molinari takes Scalfari home to us during their chats: «Listening to him meant for me understanding the identification he felt with the mission of creating Republicevery single day, as a vector of reform and innovation.” Ezio Maurowho was Scalfari’s successor, portrays him as a seducer, capable of convincing anyone to follow him in his undertaking, as when he “stole” him from The Press handing over the helm to him some time later: a partnership that became a great friendship. Natalia Aspesi describes that feared and admired man “with whom we were all already in love”, while Massimo Giannini remembers when he gave him a letter that he had written to him as a student, confessing his dream of working together one day. «Every morning he had a red rose bought to put on his desk because in the morning “I need to see beauty” he said», writes the editorial secretary Anna Veneruso. And what a surprise the chapter written by Roberto Benigni, admired by the special relationship between Scalfari and Pope Francis: «Bergoglio could have chosen any journalist in the world and instead he chose Scalfari. This gives us a sense of what Eugenio was. A legend”.

The memory of Ernesto Assantewho passed away a few weeks ago, is moving: «We “kids” were lucky Republic: we were a gang, we were different, we felt different, even proudly, presumptuously, consciously different from everyone else. And there was only one captain.” «Scalfari was the world before jeans, pop, consumerism», writes Michele Serra, while Concita De Gregorio he takes us to Piazza Indipendenza during the “sung mass”, the long meeting, with the director saying “let’s hear what the kids think”, who were perched on the windowsills. The book, through testimonies, retraces the history of Italy: for example the years of lead with his choice not to give space to the Red Brigades. But by reading this biography you can also discover the recipes of his favorite cocktails: from the Martini to the Bullshot . And it is worth stopping to look at the color photos that portray Scalfari in various moments of his extraordinary life.

Saturday 6 April all 17.45 all’Auditorium, a Roma, the book will be presented by Simone Viola with Maurizio Molinari, Ezio Mauro, Corrado Augias, Silvana Mazzocchi and Simonetta Fiori.

The book and presentation – 100 times Scalfari (edited by Simone Viola, 272 pages plus 24 color photos, €9.90 plus the price of the newspaper). On newsstands from Saturday 6 April.

And on Saturday the book is presented in Rome (Parco della Musica Auditorium, Guest Room Ennio Morricone at 5.45pm) with Maurizio Molinari, Ezio Mauro, Corrado Augias, Silvana Mazzocchi. Moderated by Simonetta Fiori