Foundation Filarete, a new spur for biosciences' development

A joint project of the academic and financial world

Milano, 21 nov. (Apcom) - Promoting scientific research in the field of biosciences by staking on the partnership between the academic and financial world. This is the starting point of the Foundation Filarete, which has been instituted by Foundation Cariplo, Intesa Sanpaolo and the University of Milan (Università degli Studi). The goals are many: supporting scientific investigation, encouraging the creation of companies with a high technological content and spurring the collaboration among universities, enterprises, financial institutions and other Italian and international scientific bodies.

"The Filarete Foundation is an operational model aimed at making the technological transfer between universities and enterprises more effective," explained Mario Zanone Poma, the new Foundation's president. It is also a very good chance for those Italian companies that want to play an active role in the development of applied research. All the companies can take part in this project and benefit from it."

The Foundation involves nine 'technological platforms'. The latter are due to give life to an interdisciplinary research area, a meeting point for several branches of science: biotechnology, molecular imaging, genomics, proteomics, nanotechnologies and pharmacology.

The Navigli district will become a pedestrian area

Six million euros to make it more beautiful and liveable

Milano, 25 nov. (Apcom) - The definitive project for the conversion of the Navigli area into a pedestrian zone was officially presented by Milano's city council. Among the main goals set by the plan are the district's urban and landscape redevelopment, its exclusive use by pedestrians and cyclists, the elimination of any problem caused by traffic congestion, local pollution, and irregular parking.

The permanent pedestrian precinct will make the Navigli area more beautiful and liveable," explained Edoardo Croci, the municipal councillor for Mobility, Transport and Environment. "The removal of vehicular traffic will help pedestrians and cyclists move better and it will lead to a general improvement of the environmental quality, as the results achieved through the limited traffic zone and the summer traffic island showed us."

In 2008 Milano's city council has already offered 6 million euros for the project, which includes both limited traffic zones and pedestrian areas. The access to the latter will be allowed only to the residents and inhabitants who own a garage or a parking space in the inner courtyards and, of course, to pedestrians and cyclists. Also taxis will be able to enter these areas; public cars will have the chance to stop near all the pedestrian precincts.

The mystery of nature according to René Magritte

Over 100 paintings by the Belgian surrealist at Palazzo Reale

Milano, 24 nov. (Apcom) - Through his art, the Belgian surrealist René Magritte, one of the greatest and most prolific painters of the 20th century, interpreted the mystery of nature. Exactly 110 years after his birth, the exhibition 'Magritte and nature', which is held at Palazzo Reale until March 29th 2009, investigates the latter by displaying 110 oil paintings, in addition to gouaches and sculptures.

The exhibition is curated by Michel Draguet, the director of Brussels' Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts, and Claudia Beltramo Ceppi. According to them, the Milanese event aims at "finding another level of interpretation, which through the use of a new linguistic syntax, allows the visitors to ponder over the relationship established with nature by the artist." The works displayed at Palazzo Reale come from the big Belgian museum, but some are also from public and private collections. The latter seldom grant this kind of lending: as a matter of fact, the curators explained that some of the paintings are presented outside their usual seat "for the first and last time". Among the most exceptional masterpieces is 'The ignorant fairy', a 9.8-foot wide oil painting of Charleroi's museum.

In addition to rare works, there are many that have become contemporary icons, like the big red rose in the middle of a room ('The fighter's Grave'), the nocturnal street scene set against a pastel-blue sky spotted with fluffy clouds ('The Empire of Light'), the men wearing bowling hats, who act as the diversified personifications of Magritte himself in many paintings.

Valentina Vezzali: I always crave for new achievements

'Winning mentality is not inborn: you build it day after day'

Milano, 21 nov. (Apcom) - "A winner must get used to taking risks". Word of Valentina Vezzali, the so called 'queen of the foil", undoubtedly among the greatest athletes of all time. Her main achievements say it all about her character and mental strength: ten World Championship gold medals and four Olympic titles. Excelling in a sport is not just a matter of talent: behind every triumph there are thousands of hours of exhausting training and the endless desire for new goals. The fence star dwelt upon the secrets of a high-level and long-lived performance during a meeting on the similarities between the sports world and that of business that took place in Milano. "People who stand out in a specific field share one aspect of their personality: they are driven by motivation, they never lose sight of their aims," she explained. "Regardless of the kind of career they are following, winning people are determined and keen: this is what makes the difference when they have to get up again after a bitter defeat. In spite of her renowned successes, Valentina Vezzali had to do it many times. In 2006, for example, she suffered the rupture of her left cruciate ligament. Nevertheless, a few months later she won her fifth World crown in Saint Petersburg.

Another sad episode that changed her life was the untimely death of her father, one of her greatest supporters. "He was very proud of me," the 34 year old fencer said. "Once, when I was a child, my fence master promised him that one day I would take part in the Olympic Games. This promise helped him deal with the last days of his disease. His death turned my huge grief into motivation." The obstacles of life mould Vezzali's character and also changed her approach to competing. "When I lose I usually cry, I tend to voice my disappointment. However, I soon ask myself about my mistakes and my opponent's merits. Together with my coach, I try to find the right countermove and I start training harder.

Besides, I can't wait to meet her again to beat her. That's the difference with other athletes," she admitted. "Many people don't want to face who beat them in the past." According to Vezzali, this is not an inborn attitude. "Winning mentality is something you create day after day with all the people who surround you, like your family and your coaches," she pointed out. "They inculcate the key values into your mind and teach you that you have to be ready to pursue your dreams and tackle new challenges. I have always tried to yearn for new goals." The more you win, the more you feel strong, this is one of her firm believes. "When you obtain good results your propensity to risk increases and risk even becomes a habit." From her words, it is clear that Valentina Vezzali is still not tired to excel. Her next destination is London: at the 2012 Olympic Games, she will try to win her forth individual title.

"Only three people in the Games' history won four gold medals in a row in the same discipline," she underlined. "My body is no longer that of a 20 year old girl, but I will do as much as I can to succeed: I think that it is up to us to look for our limits and overcome them." The fencer has also an avowed dream: "Being the standard-bearer of the Italian delegation". When asked about the sports champions she identifies herself with, she has no doubts: "Valentino Rossi, Michael Schumacher and Mark Spitz: people who, despite winning everything, are still greedy for more."