Special moments of sharing for the students alongside Veronica Berti, Paralympic champion Alessandro Ossola, rhythmic gymnastics champion Anna Piergentili, Lube athletes Francesco Bisotto and Mattia Boninfante, and the magic of illusionist Andrea Paris. Also in attendance were Mayor Sandro Parcaroli, ABF CEO Laura Biancalani, Macerata’s Councillor for Public Works Andrea Marchiori, Councillor for Education Katiuscia Cassetta, and the President of the City Council Francesco Luciani
Sforzacosta, (Macerata, Italy), September 16, 2025 – On September 15, on the occasion of the new school year’s opening, the new gymnasium of the “G. Natali” primary school was handed over, marking the final step in the completion of the ABF Educational Hub 0–11 in Sforzacosta. The project is the result of the collaboration between the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Municipality of Macerata.
With this handover, the wide-ranging urban renewal and regeneration project launched in 2023 comes to a close. It first led to the construction of the 0–6 Early Childhood Center (inaugurated on November 22, 2023), followed by the renovation of the “G. Natali” primary school and its surrounding garden. For ABF, the Sforzacosta initiative was the fifth intervention carried out in the Marche region in areas affected by the 2016 earthquake, bearing witness to the effectiveness of a model based on close public-private synergy and on the active participation of the community.
A mural to transform the gym into a space of identity. Inside the new gymnasium is a mural created by artist Alice Lotti during a wall-painting workshop held last March 25. The workshop engaged the students of the school as well as participants from the city’s community workshops in the design phase. Children and young people contributed to defining the theme of the work, while the artist oversaw the entire execution during construction. The illustration transformed the gymnasium into a welcoming, open, natural, and playful space, where children and young people can feel recognized and represented. A project that fully reflects ABF’s approach to creating functional, innovative, and inclusive schools, where the community plays an active role in shaping the educational environment.
At the emotional handover to the students, present were Veronica Berti Bocelli, ABF Vice-Chair, and Laura Biancalani, ABF CEO. Also attending the ceremony were Mayor Sandro Parcaroli, Councillor for Public Works Andrea Marchiori, Councillor for Education Katiuscia Cassetta, Paralympic champion Alessandro Ossola, rhythmic gymnastics champion Anna Piergentili, Francesco Bisotto and Mattia Boninfante from Lube, and illusionist Andrea Paris.
“The gym is much more than a sports facility: it is a place for meeting, discovery, and shared growth. With its opening, we bring to a close a journey built together with the local community, which today can count on an educational Hub designed to welcome and enhance every child, every young person, every story. This Hub tells the story of what happens when a community believes in education as a common good: every space speaks of collaboration, creativity, and trust in the future. To see these spaces finally complete and alive with young people is the most beautiful testimony of their value.” — Laura Biancalani, ABF CEO.
“With the inauguration of the new gymnasium of the ‘G. Natali’ primary school, we celebrate the conclusion of a journey but, above all, the beginning of a new chapter of life for the entire community. In these spaces, born in the wounded heart of the earthquake, trust is reborn in the power of education, in the resilience of communities, and in the joy of children who will once again run, play, and grow together. A special thanks to our athlete friends Alessandro Ossola and Anna Piergentili, who with their presence and enthusiasm brought a strong example of commitment and passion. The same commitment and passion that drives the great ABF family, convinced as we are that every work dedicated to education is a seed of the future: because wherever a school is born, the community is reborn.” — Veronica Berti Bocelli, ABF Vice-Chair.
“The ABF Educational Hub 0–11 in Sforzacosta represents a unique and integrated educational center, accessible to children and families beyond school hours, on weekends, and during the summer period, designed to foster new forms of learning and strengthen the link between school and community. Our thanks go to the Andrea Bocelli Foundation for its ongoing closeness to our territory and to all the guests who participated and helped create enriching and engaging moments for the younger generations.” — Mayor Sandro Parcaroli.
For every ABF project completed, another takes shape. Work is underway on the new IPSIA “R. Frau” in San Ginesio (Macerata), an innovative school complex designed and developed by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation’s team of experts in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner for Post-Earthquake Reconstruction in Central Italy.
Three adjoining blocks, three “science boxes” designed for school activities, workshops, sports, and creative play—even outdoors—covering a total area of over 2,800 square meters. A modern facility, equipped with a 40 kWp photovoltaic system, earthquake-resistant, and certified in Class IV (“buildings with public or strategic functions”), it will bring new energy to the territory and new opportunities for younger generations.
