Fondazione Romualdo
del Bianco
Contributing to continuous affirmation of Florence as a city of encounters and Peace
Travelling towards dialogue: a past to learn about together, a common future to build
Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco
Life Beyond Tourism®
The Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation was officially established in 1998, but its roots go back to the late 1980s, when COMI SpA, operating in Florence’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, began to orient its activities of hospitality toward intercultural dialogue. This choice was strongly inspired by the historic turning point of 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall, which symbolized the possibility of building bridges where divisions once stood.
Vision
Guided by the vision of Paolo Del Bianco, CEO of COMI, the Foundation was created with a clear mission: to use hospitality not simply as a service, but as a tool for encounter, mutual understanding, and ultimately peace. Since the beginning, young people have been at the center of its initiatives, invited to Florence not only to admire its heritage but to meet peers from different countries, learn from one another, and discover how culture can connect rather than divide.
The guiding motto
“For peace in the world, among young people of different countries, with culture: to meet, to know, to understand, to develop friendship among peoples”
became the spirit of its action.
Origins
In its early years, the Foundation engaged universities and young academics from Central and Eastern Europe, at a time of profound geopolitical change. Through residential programs, seminars, cultural visits, and continuous interaction, participants experienced intercultural dialogue first-hand. These encounters fostered personal and professional ties that often endured and expanded, creating the international network that still supports the Foundation today.
This ethos drew inspiration from voices such as Padre Ernesto Balducci, who in Florence wrote: “If you want peace, build peace”, and the great journalist Ryszard Kapuściński, who emphasized the importance of moving from the “I” to the shared “we.” Both perspectives deeply influenced the Foundation’s conviction that travel, when rooted in heritage, can become a tool of dialogue, responsibility, and global citizenship.
Projects
Over the years, the Foundation’s projects attracted the interest of professors, students, professionals, cultural institutions, ambassadors, and even governments. What began as a local initiative grew to reach 111 countries across five continents, with Florence as the meeting point and catalyst.
From this rich experience, the Foundation shaped the Life Beyond Tourism® ethos and model, affirming that cultural and natural heritage are not just to be preserved or consumed, but to be lived as opportunities for encounter, dialogue, and peace. Today, Life Beyond Tourism® continues to carry forward this vision, offering tools, training, and initiatives that link heritage to sustainable development and intercultural understanding.
