The Real Colonia di San Leucio is preparing to celebrate a milestone of extraordinary historical and cultural value: the 250th anniversary of its foundation (1776–2026). The anniversary represents not only the memory of an enlightened and unique experience in the European landscape, but also a heritage of identity to be valued and projected into the future.
For the occasion, the Fondazione Orizzonti, chaired by entrepreneur Giuseppe Menniti, is promoting a comprehensive program of initiatives, cultural events, and opportunities for in-depth study that will accompany the entire year 2026, paying tribute to the history, values, and legacy of the Leucian community.
The calendar of celebrations was presented during a press conference on Sunday, January 11, at 10:30 a.m., at the headquarters of the Fondazione Orizzonti, in Piazza della Seta 7, Real Sito di San Leucio, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The occasion will mark the official start of the Leuciano Year.
The press conference, conducted by journalist Nicola Porro, was attended by the Undersecretary of State for the Interior Wanda Ferro, HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and representatives of institutions and local authorities. The high-profile audience underscored the importance of San Leucio as a cultural, social, and economic model and shared a common vision on the prospects for enhancing the Royal Site in the contemporary context. Artist Bruno Donzelli dedicated a work to the event.
The celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Real Colonia di San Leucio provide an opportunity for reflection, participation, and revitalization, involving institutions, businesses, citizens, and visitors in a symbolic year for the region.
The Fondazione Orizzonti, chaired by entrepreneur Giuseppe Menniti, is based in San Leucio di Caserta in Piazza della Seta 7, inside a historic Leucian silk factory. It works to implement initiatives of high social interest, promoting cultural growth, inclusion, and gender equality, and supporting the development of the territory in all its dimensions.
The focus of its work is the preservation and enhancement of the heritage and cultural legacy of Caserta and San Leucio, inspired by the values of fairness, dignity of work, participation, and civic responsibility, which the Royal Colony passes on not only as historical heritage but as a living model of cultural and social development.
Two symbolic female figures opened the Leucian Year by recalling San Leucio’s world leadership in gender equality in the workplace: Wanda Ferro, Undersecretary at the Ministry of the Interior, and HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, heir to the dynasty that founded the Leucian community in 1776.
“The Year of Leucio is more than a celebration: it invites us to rediscover a model based on work, merit, and gender equality,” said Ferro. Princess Beatrice added: “San Leucio is not just a place of production: its statute is an idea of civilization.”
Alongside the institutions, the business and academic worlds were also present, demonstrating a broad alliance to make 2026 a year of cultural and economic revival.
Historian Tommaso Tartaglione retraced the 250-year history of the Real Colonia, while photographer Antonio Biasiucci presented his new project dedicated to the anniversary. The spokesperson for the Orizzonti Foundation, Enzo Battarra, illustrated the official calendar: twelve months of exhibitions, meetings, festivals, and initiatives designed to showcase San Leucio as a unique place in the world.
The president of the Fondazione Orizzonti, Giuseppe Menniti, emphasized the symbolic value of the location chosen for the inauguration: a historic building in San Leucio overlooking Piazza della Seta, currently undergoing restoration. “Restoring it to its original function—creating culture, work, and identity—means affirming that the future of San Leucio starts here.”
Among the guests were Police Chief Andrea Grassi, Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo, Director of the State Archives Fortunata Manzi, Parliamentarians Marco Cerreto and Gianpiero Zinzi, and President of the Order of Engineers Carlo Raucci.
With the start of the Leucian Year, San Leucio returns to the center of the debate on history, culture, work, and rights, reaffirming—250 years later—a vision that is still extraordinarily contemporary.
