Farewell to Fabio Roversi Monaco, former president of Genus Bononiae

Jurist Fabio Roversi Monaco, professor emeritus of Administrative Law, a central figure in the recent history of the University of Bologna as well as in Bolognese culture, has passed away in Bologna at the age of 87, as he was for a long time president of Genus Bononiae. He was Magnifico Rettore of the Alma Mater from 1985 to 2000, guiding the University for fifteen years and contributing decisively to its development and international affirmation, as well as president of Genus Bononiae from the founding of the consortium of cultural venues managed by the Fondazione Carisbo in 2003 until 2021, when the museums of the circuit passed under the management of Opera Laboratori.

Born in Addis Ababa in 1938, Roversi Monaco graduated in Law on February 28, 1962, right at the University of Bologna. In 1967 he was awarded tenure and as early as 1969 began his work as professor of public law at the Faculty of Political Science, a position he held until 1972, when he became an extraordinary professor. The move to the Faculty of Law took place in 1974, where he taught Constitutional Law and, from 1977, Administrative Law, a discipline in which he would consolidate his scientific authority until he was awarded the title of professor emeritus. Parallel to his teaching and research activities, he held important institutional positions within the University, joining the Board of Directors between 1973 and 1978.

In 1978 he took over as director of SPISA, the School of Specialization in Public Administration Studies, a role he held until 1997 and then again from 2000 to 2006. There he promoted innovative initiatives, including the first Italian master’s degree for corporate lawyers and the first school of specialization in health law, contributing to the modernization of legal education.

The most significant turning point in his career came with his election as rector of the University of Bologna in the academic year 1985-1986, a post he held until October 31, 2000, when he was succeeded by Pier Ugo Calzolari. During his long tenure, Roversi Monaco was the protagonist of a season of profound transformation of the Alma Mater, both on the organizational level and in terms of international projection. Among the most notable achievements was the promotion of the Magna Charta Universitatum, signed in 1988 by more than 400 rectors, a document intended to enshrine the fundamental principles of university autonomy and academic freedom. Even more incisive was his role in the so-called Bologna Process, culminating in 1999 with the meeting in Bologna of 29 European ministers of education and the signing of the Bologna Declaration, which laid the foundations for the comparability of university systems and student mobility in Europe.

He is also credited with structuring the University of Bologna’s multicampus model, an organizational system that has enabled the University’s expansion while maintaining strong territorial roots, making it unique on the Italian scene.

After his rector’s term ended, Roversi Monaco continued to play a leading role in the city’s cultural and economic life. From 2000 to 2013, he was president of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna, and was among the promoters of the Genus Bononiae - Museums in the City project, a diffuse museum circuit established in 2003 and housed in several restored historic buildings: Palazzo Fava (home of major exhibitions), Palazzo Pepoli (home of the Museum of the History of Bologna), Santa Maria della Vita, Casa Saraceni, San Colombano and the Library of Art and History. The project helped significantly redefine Bologna’s cultural offerings, and Roversi Monaco retained the presidency until 2021.

Throughout his career, he has also held numerous top positions in the economic and institutional sectors. He was CEO of the Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani between 2001 and 2003, a period during which the first half of the Dizionario biografico degli italiani was completed in preparation for the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. He has also served on the boards of companies such as Telecom Italia Media and Alleanza Toro, and was chairman of the Mandarin Capital Partners fund. Since 2013 he has been vice president of Banca IMI, and between 2014 and 2016 he led the Almalaurea consortium. Also in 2015, he conceived the Medical Science Festival, confirming his commitment to the promotion of scientific culture and popularization.

His international profile is also evidenced by the number of academic awards he has received. In addition to the honorary degree in Medicine conferred on him by the University of Bologna, he has received honorary degrees from more than twenty universities worldwide, including Brown University, the Sorbonne, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Barcelona. He also received numerous honors, including the title of Cavaliere di Gran Croce of the Italian Republic, the French Legion of Honor and the Order of Alfonso X the Wise conferred by Spain.

“The passing of Professor Fabio Roversi Monaco leaves a deep void in the cultural and institutional life of Bologna,” says Lucia Borgonzoni, undersecretary for culture. “A jurist of the highest profile, in his long years at the helm of the University of Bologna he carried out the role of Magnifico Rettore with authority and above all vision, contributing decisively to consolidating and increasing the prestige of the University not only in Italy, but in the world. Thanks to his commitment to cultural and museum institutions, he has strongly supported the city’s growth as a place of international scope and a point of reference for new generations as well. As a legacy he leaves us all a virtuous example of love for knowledge and responsibility to the community. I extend my deepest condolences to his family.”

Farewell to Fabio Roversi Monaco, former president of Genus Bononiae

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