ROME – In the suggestive location The book on the life of the “Presidentissimo” Renzo Nostini was presented last night in the CONI Hall of Honour. Memories and emotions, with many protagonists of Italian sport and Italian fencing, in the official “baptism” of the volume written by the journalist Marco Impiglia and wanted by the Nostini family, primarily by their daughter Patrizia. A fitting tribute to an extraordinary figure in the world of fencing and sports in general, first as an athlete and then as a very high profile manager.
“Don’t trust me if your heart fails you. Olympic and sporting life of Renzo Nostini” contains in 436 pages, with over 500 images, the portrait and deeds of the “Presidentissimo” of Italian fencing, with the patronage – among others – of the FIS, and arrives in the libraries of enthusiasts 110 years after his birth.
For the daughters Marzia and Patrizia Nostini, with her husband Franz Martinelli, the completion of a journey of historical reworking of news, documents, photographs, videos and notes. A heritage which contains the extraordinary commitment of a multiple foil and saber medalist as well as a visionary and innovative manager.
A multifaceted sportsman, who led the Italian Fencing Federation from 1960 to 1993, “his” the intuition of the 1963 Youth Grand Prix, and was Vice President of CONI, later earning himself honor in numerous other areas of Italian sport.
CONI President Giovanni Malagò and other great figures of Italian sport, including many fencing champions, from Margherita Granbassi to Antonella Ragno, from Michele Maffei to Andrea Cipressa, enriched the evening in Rome with content. The prefaces of the book are signed by the number one of the Olympic Committee, Giovanni Malagò, the President of the FIS, Paolo Azzi, and Antonio Buccioni of the SS Lazio.
Federal President Azzi, unable to participate because he was in Basel, following the Italian national team involved in the European Championships, underlined: “L’last major international commitment before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games prevented me to be present at the presentation of the book on the great Renzo Nostini. I tried to express how attached I was to him in the preface, which I was honored to have signed, but above all I hope to have demonstrated it on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of “our” Youth Grand Prix which dutifully bears his name, recognizing President Renzo Nostini’s intuition, vision and fatherhood of a magical event that united us and made us proud once again last May in Riccione. There presence of Patricia, that evening, was a great, yet another, demonstration of affection that I will not forget. The book written by Marco Impiglia is a wonderful project he does memory of a great leader, a commendable gesture of affection on the part of the sua family and also a service for all Italian sport which owes him so much. Fencing, that’s for surewill remain forever linked and grateful to Renzo Nostini”.
