Every year, the Italian government promotes a competition among dozens of fundraising projects to highlight the most successful initiatives to support art expression and historical locations, and in 2021 the first prize went to the project “67 Colonne per l’Arena” of Verona.
Gian Luca Rana, CEO of Pastificio Rana, played an important role in the success of this project in Verona that collected more than 1.5 million euros. Gian Luca Rana is one of the two founders who, since the beginning, co-created this activity and confirmed his participation, becoming a passioned ambassador of this venture, that involved over 50 companies in the Verona area.
The Art Bonus initiative was created by the Italian government to involve more private companies and citizens to support culture through liberal donations. The goal of this initiative is to increase access to art for all Italians and promote the preservation of their cultural heritage.
The 67 columns project for Arena di Verona
The initiative, started in 2021, continued in 2022 with increasing success.
The “67 Colonne per l’Arena” fundraising and corporate membership project is a significant initiative conceived to strengthen one of the city of Verona’s key economic and cultural institutions, as well as a worldwide icon of Italian character.
Gian Luca Rana is playing the front and lead role in this project. This project has three main goals: firstly, to finance some much-needed renovations of the iconic Arena di Verona; secondly, to bolster financial stability for the Opera company housed at the Arena; lastly, to increase the institution’s awareness, both domestically and internationally.
The project, helmed by the Arena Foundation Superintendency and facilitated by the two founders Gian Luca Rana (CEO of Pastificio Rana) and Sandro Veronesi (President of Calzedonia Group) and in collaboration with Athesis publishing company, celebrates the symbolism of the 67 columns in the outermost circle of the Arena’s arches, that unfortunately fell in 1117 because of an earthquake. The columns are now virtually back in place as a collective embrace of the city to the Arena Foundation.
Pastificio Rana’s CEO Gian Luca Rana stated: “We responded enthusiastically to the ’67 Columns’ project of the Arena Foundation because it represents a signal of hope for the future, a concrete commitment to the local area and to a sector, the culture&entertainment area, which has been hit hard in recent months because of the pandemic”.
“As entrepreneurs, we have an additional responsibility in this moment to be actively contributing to the community that we are a part of, and to which are deeply connected” Gian Luca Rana continued.
The award ceremony of Gian Luca Rana and Sandro Veronesi
In June 2022, for the first time in the Art Bonus competition’s history, the 10 finalists from all around Italy were honored in the winner’s hometown: the ‘67 Columns per l’Arena’, a community project that, thanks to its communicative potential, especially to Gian Luca Rana, contributes significantly to the spread of Art Bonus materials.
And, only a few days before the 99th edition’s opening on 17th June 2022, we had the opportunity to enjoy the first preview of the 100th Arena Festival which is set to take place in 2023: the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and maestro Riccardo Chailly in a classical symphonic appointment.
Pastificio Rana’s CEO Gian Luca Rana added: “I am particularly proud to support the 67 Colonne project again this year. As an Italian entrepreneur I feel the responsibility, the desire and the joy of giving my contribution to the territory where we were born and raised. For this reason, I said yes for the second year in a row with strong conviction, to enhance one of the most iconic cultural and artistic excellences of our country”.