FONDAZIONE MARIO NOVARO GENOA

The Foundation Mario Novaro, recognized by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and by the Region Liguria, was established in 1983, due to the will of the heirs and a group of professors from the University of Genoa, with the aim of enhancing the culture of the 20th century in Liguria with particular reference to the works of the intellectual entrepreneur Mario Novaro and the journal «La Riviera Ligure». Besides taking care of the preservation of its historical archive, combined with the legacies of which the original archival collection (over 4000 autographs) has been enriched over the time, the Foundation carries out its mission of historic, economic and cultural environmental promotion through various tools and activities such as meetings, exhibitions and conferences and publishing of texts in the field of literature, art and advertising. Twice a year the Foundation publishes its journal that has taken the historical title and presents itself as «Observatory of the Ligurian culture of the 20th century»: it is a scientific journal, usually monographic and generally dedicated to members of Ligurian culture and history.

The personal archive of Mario Novaro, together with the personal library of the same poet-philosopher-entrepreneur constitutes the historic nexus and the most important of the funds held by the Foundation. It collects over 4000 autographs, including letters written by more than two hundred poets and writers with the director of «Riviera Ligure» (manuscripts, letters, drafts and drawings of Novaro himself, in addition to the original drawings and illustrations made for the covers and pages of the journal). There is also the correspondence between Mario Novaro and his sons Guido and Cellino, soldiers in the First World War, accompanied by a series of photographs from the front. Other literary funds have been acquired over time (Angelo Barile, Mario Boselli, Irene Brin, Aldo Capasso, Ettore Serra) with some other Art Funds (Mimmo Guelfi, Ligustro, Enzo Maiolino, Arturo Martini, Italo Zetti).

The historical core of the personal library of Mario Novaro not only collects Italian and foreign literary texts of 19th and 20th century, but also philosophical publications in English and in German, often received, as letters show, directly from his friends in Berlin (where Mario Novaro was a student of philosophy at the end of the 19th century). In addition to this valuable historical library, Ligurian literary texts, dialect poetry, literary journals, essays on history and film criticism, history of advertising and communication have been gradually acquired, according to the institutional purpose of the institution. The library now has 30,000 books and 900 journals.

Scientific committee
Maria Novaro (president), Andrea Aveto, Giorgio Bertone, Eugenio Buonaccorsi, Francesco De Nicola, Walter Di Giusto, Maria Teresa Orengo, Mario Paternostro.


Fondazione Mario Novaro o.n.l.u.s.
Corso Aurelio Saffi 9/11
16128 Genova, Italia
tel: 0039.010.5530319
e-mail: fondazione.novaro@fastwebnet.it