The Farnese d'Or rewards the talents that strengthen Italian-French friendship
Fifth edition in the wake of the Quirinale Treaty signed in 2021. Among the award-winners Encrico Letta, Pascal Lagarde, Marcello Cattani and Giuseppe Tornatore
With their talent, they represent the 'centuries-old friendship' between France and Italia, which is renewed each time thanks to deep ties in the name of excellence: they are managers and entrepreneurs representing industrial giants and innovative companies also in terms of sustainability and social impact, as well as men and women of culture and art of international renown such as a publisher-writer and a great film director, and finally a politician who embodies in his personal and public history this indissoluble union between the two countries. Uniting them is the recently awarded Farnese d'Or, one of the most prestigious events dedicated to Franco-Italian relations.
The prize is jointly promoted by the CCI France Italie, the Chamber of Commerce and the French Embassy in Italia, which has just hosted the fifth edition of this initiative in its historical headquarters at Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The aim of the prize is to highlight personalities, companies and institutions that make a concrete contribution to strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
The initiative is not limited to celebration, but aims to recognise and enhance the protagonists who contribute to the development of bilateral relations in a transversal and continuous manner in strategic areas such as institutional, economic, innovation, culture and art.
The jury chaired by Denis Delespaul and composed of Emma Marcegaglia, Antonio Belloni, Marc Lazar and Walter Veltroni awarded the prizes for the Farnese d'Or 2026 the Jury's "Special Award" to Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute; that for "Institutions" to Invitalia and Bpifrance represented by Bernardo Mattarella, CEO and Director General of Invitalia and Pascal Lagarde, Executive Director in charge of International, Strategy, Studies and Development of Bpifrance; for "the Company" to Giuseppe D'Angelo, Chief Business Officer Europe of Ferrero; for 'Innovation' to Marcello Cattani, president and CEO of Sanofi Italia and Malta; for 'Social Impact' to Ninell Sobiecka, president and CEO of L'Oréal Italia; for 'Sustainability' to Gaetano Terrasini, CEO of Saint Gobain Italia and Greece; for 'Culture' to Teresa Cremisi, publisher, writer and president of Adelphi; for 'Art' to the director Giuseppe Tornatore.
This year's edition also has a special significance as it coincides with the fifth year of implementation of the Quirinal Treaty, signed in 2021, for enhanced bilateral cooperation between France and Italia and comes on the eve of the summit in Cannes on 25 June when French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet.
