Bocconi Archives on View for the Notte degli Archivi
It is a heritage of inestimable importance, to be known, studied and valued. These are the historical archives kept at the Library and Archives service of Bocconi University (https://lib.unibocconi.it/*ita) directed or by Beatriz Villagrasa. Physically moved to the via Gobbi building in 2014 from the previous location at the Institute of Economic History, it is now also available online. The Archives tell the story of Bocconi since its foundation, through a rich photographic documentation and the correspondence of those who have guided the University over the decades. But there are also older archives, which have almost always been acquired through donations, with documents dating back to 1400, in some cases of fundamental historical importance such as the Saminiati-Pazzi Archive or more recent such as the Archive of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion.
"To give greater visibility to our heritage", says Tiziana Dassi, head of the Archives, "we decided this year to participate in the Archivissima event, now in its fifth edition, a national festival dedicated to archives in which the State Archives, those of foundations, universities and private companies take part. This year it will have as its central theme 'Change', and will be scheduled from 9 to 12 June." In particular, Bocconi will participate in the event " Notte degli Archivi" (Night of the Archives) on June 10, with the publication in Asboc (https://asboc.unibocconi.it/) of a 1948 travel report by Cesare Brustio that constitutes a benchmark case for changing the Rinascente store in the direction of a new sales model inspired by American department stores.
"The material belongs to the Brustio-La Rinascente Archive, which collects the papers of the Brustio family from 1917 to 1971. The name is due to the fact that most of the documents refer to the department store, where the Brustio family held important roles, from CEO to president," says Tiziana Dassi, "and is also a testimony to the historical link between Bocconi and the department store. The path that we will publish, entitled 'The American department store, a model for the change of La Rinascente', tells through photos and short texts all the changes, both architectural and regarding the display of goods, in the period from 1921 to the 50s, that conform to examples in the United States that Cesare Brustio had observed in person on his journey." The main point of this operation, as Tiziana Dassi explains, "is to give value to the memory of some fundamental events that are also connected to the history of Bocconi and to emphasize the importance of these documents, now accessible online on the Asboc portal, for economic and social research."