Independent award in Bordighera, Italy, for services to culture.
The Little Golden Palm Leaf.
For the 18th edition of the annual Parmurelu d’Oru, the Bordighera-based jury named as worthy of recognition their fellow citizen, Ing. Giuseppe Eugenio Bessone. In his case the award has been discerned for his deep love for Bordighera demonstrated by a life-long commitment to the enhancement of the historical, cultural and architectural heritage of the city.
Bessone’s interest in Bordighera dates back to the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the city; that was in 1971 when he wrote the book on the subject with Enzo Bernardini. His interest, research and writing about Bordighera has accompanied his long professional career. His love for the heritage of the Belle Époque has also extended to other places including Sanremo, Alassio, Finale, Genoa and the French Riviera.
His contribution to intangible cultural heritage – research and writing – and to the artefacts of history – tireless work to protect and restore historic buildings in the area – has bolstered the long-term preservation of Bordighera, the architectural heritage and the buildings themselves across the whole Riviera. As an example, Bessone played a key role in making the de-consecrated Anglican Church of Bordighera an asset to the community as a meeting and cultural space; its acquisition by the municipality required patient and skilful work with the Bishop of Gibraltar and other representatives of the Anglican church community in London and elsewhere.
Bessone has preserved many precious historical memories that risked oblivion and has collected iconographic and documentary material for which there was no other home. Over the years, numerous Italian and foreign students have turned to him to complete their degree theses. In the same way, many scholars have been able to make use of his generous willingness to share documents and paintings, precious sources for research and scientific study. In 2016-7 he was a vital support to Valerie Lester in her writing MARVELS: The Life of Clarence Bicknell and Giuseppe has been a faithful and warm friend to all those involved in bringing Clarence’s work to a wider public. In addition, by lending paintings from his collection, Bessone has contributed to enriching art exhibitions such as Monet – Return to the Riviera, Margherita, Queen of Art and Culture and The discovery of the Riviera. He is an engineer by profession.
His work comes from his passion and from his forward -looking vision. His works has had the virtues of active citizenship, dedication to the common good, and a knack for turning his contemplative and enthusiastic love into concrete and constructive action.
English translation and adaptation MB 14 May 2025