The “Carta” museum dedicated to books and the typography that the “Rubbettino” publishing company created within its factories in Soveria Mannelli was inaugurated.
The initiative was promoted at the conclusion of the “Labour Festival in the Internal Areas”, which took place from 12 to 14 June.
The inauguration ceremony was preceded by a debate in which the president of the Italian Publishers Association, Innocenzo Cipolletta, took part; Manuel Fernando Ramello, vice-president of the Italian Association for industrial archaeological heritage and the brothers Marco and Florindo Rubbettino, owners of the publishing house of the same name.
The opening of the debate was entrusted to the bishop of Lamezia Terme, Monsignor Serafino Parisi.
“The past is always a dive into the future – observed Monsignor Parisi – especially if it is kept in a museum that concerns books. The book is not a static asset to be displayed, but is always an invitation to action. Every time you open a book, it comes to life. It is a foundation on which to build the future.”
President Cipolletta also spoke about the future, recalling how “the growth of our country cannot be achieved without education and awareness” and noted how “the other element that must accompany education can only be innovation . A company museum – said Cipolletta – helps to be aware of the path taken and the difficult moments overcome, thus making it clear that there is a path to follow and it can only be done by knowing how to adapt. The challenges of the future require the ability to adapt to the changing context, as happened in nature with Darwin’s laws”.
Cipolletta also focused on the reading rates in our country, “which – he said – continue, especially in the South, to remain low. In Italy – he added – around 110 million books are bought per year for a population of around 60 million, on average two books per person. We therefore need a plan that as president of the Italian Publishers Association I am building also thanks to the councilors Florindo Rubbettino, who has responsibility for Southern Italy, and Andrea Angiolini, with responsibility for Innovation”.
Admiration was expressed, during the initiative, for the work carried out by Rubbettino in his 50 years of activity, “during which – it was said – he offered a significant contribution to the cultural growth of the country but also to social development, economic and cultural of the territory in which it operates”.
“The desire to innovate and experiment that the museum inaugurated by Rubbettino transmits” was underlined by Manuel Fernando Ramello. “An attractive force – he added – which is also exerted towards the younger generations, such as the internationally renowned artists who exhibit their works in the nearby contemporary art park”.
“Great emotion” was expressed by Florindo Rubbettino, who, in recalling how “the job of an editor is above all that of telling and producing stories” noted how “even with operations of this kind, a new narrative of Calabria can be achieved , seen as a place of work and production, thus deconstructing deep-rooted myths”.
Rubbettino also insisted on the concept of “work as a cultural asset”, underlining how “this museum also tells the story of the culture of work by bringing together business and culture, cultural production and manufacturing, memory and experimentation.
A dynamic place open to creativity and innovation” Finally, Marco Rubbettino spoke of a “dream come true”, pointing out how “the inauguration of the Museum is the culmination of a project that began in 1972 in the back room of a stationery shop by Soveria Mannelli. A project by a pragmatic visionary like Rosario Rubbettino, founder of the company, and which has been made their own by many people who over the years have wanted to share his dream”.
