“Beauty” as a driver of development in Torino

The fifth edition of the Beauty Forum took place last November in the historic setting of the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento in Turin. The annual event is promoted by the Fondazione Italia Patria della Bellezza and brings together museums, villages, and cultural institutions from across Italy to reflect on the value of beauty as a social, economic, and educational lever.

The day opened at 9:00 a.m. with institutional greetings from Turin’s Deputy Mayor Michela Favaro and Councillor for Culture Rosanna Purchia, who highlighted the strategic role of culture in urban regeneration, social cohesion, and the development of new opportunities for local communities.

At the heart of the 2025 edition was the presentation of an innovative research project by Alta Scuola Politecnica, the joint program of the Politecnico di Milano and the Politecnico di Torino, dedicated to assessing the social and emotional impact of beauty.

The research, presented by professors and researchers from both universities, aims to analyze the transformative value of beauty in terms of sustainability, well-being, social cohesion, and cultural development. It involves local communities and citizens to better understand perceptions of beauty and the sense of territorial identity. Final results are expected in September 2026.

As recalled by Foundation President Maurizio di Robilant, beauty is not merely an aesthetic matter, but a cultural and human heritage capable of generating vision and concrete change in local areas. This concept was also emphasized by Director Alessia del Corona Borgia, who described the Forum as a civic infrastructure, as well as a moment for dialogue and shared vision.

During the morning, a panel was held on communication strategies and place branding, during which municipalities and institutions shared experiences and best practices for turning beauty into identity and local development.

Particularly appreciated was the talk by Amalia Ercoli Finzi and Elvina Finzi, mother and daughter and leading figures in Italian aerospace engineering, entitled “Distorted Beauty.” The talk addressed cultural biases related to beauty, often opposed to intelligence and used as a gendered label. Through examples drawn from science, technology, and mathematics, the speakers showed how beauty also permeates innovation and knowledge, encouraging the audience to overcome stereotypes that limit the full recognition of female talent.

The Forum also explored themes of legality, active memory, and civic engagement, with a focus on the role of museums and archives as living places of preservation, research, and participation. The day was enriched by communication case studies, a musical moment curated by the Fondazione Accademia Internazionale di Imola, and concluded with guided tours of the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento, offering participants a direct experience of the host heritage.