Arezzo, 22 June 2024 – The award ceremony of the Civitas Aretii Prize, a prestigious honor, established in 2004 in memory of Monsignor Angelo Tafi and awarded by the Municipality of Arezzo to deserving personalities who with their work they contribute to spreading knowledge of Arezzo beyond territorial borders. The 2024 Civitas Aretii Prize was awarded to Anderson Birman, founder of the Brazilian footwear company Arezzo with the following motivation: Anderson Birman, Brazilian entrepreneur, is the co-founder of the Arezzo footwear company which he founded together with his brother Jefferson, in the 1970s, helping to spread the name of our city throughout the world. Born in 1954, Birman founded his footwear company in 1972 in Belo Horizonte, initially calling it Gipsy and then converting the name to Arezzo in 1977. The history of this name is quite bizarre: following a creative and unconventional approach, the Birman brothers decided to pay homage to Italy for its influence on fashion and its prominent position in the world of design and chose the new name by casually pointing the finger at the Italian map. Arezzo the location designated by chance. From then on, constant growth for the footwear company, today Arezzo&Co, which represents one of the largest and most prestigious fashion groups in Brazil. The bond between Birman and our city is deep and already in 2013, demonstrating the relevance of the company’s contribution to the promotion of Italian style in the world, it had been honored with a public reception in the Council Room. “After a few years, Civitas returns to be recognized by a man whose roots are very far from ours, but who nevertheless contributed to spreading the name of Arezzo throughout the world, particularly in Brazil and throughout Latin America ”, is the comment of the mayor Alessandro Ghinelli. “At the beginning he did it only by imagining our city – he continues – chosen casually by pointing his finger at the map of Italy and stopping at that name, Arezzo precisely, which, pronounced in his language, Portuguese, sounded particularly persuasive and captivating. And so, since the very early 1970s, Arezzo has become synonymous with fashion and elegance, a coveted and distinctive signature of extraordinary quality leather footwear and accessories. A reality that I got to know personally on my recent trip to Sao Paulo, a special opportunity to tell our story, our identity and our traditions there. Today, for over 50 years of activity, the Arezzo brand, by will of its founder, wanted to meet that city, ours, which has marked and accompanied its success, with a dedicated line identified by its symbols: an effective way, so that together with its founder, all those who purchase an Arezzo product also know our reality”.
