Gilberto’s name might not be as popular as that of his brother Luciano, despite his significant contribution to the company. Like the rest of the family, if not more, he was a very discreet and unpretentious man. He disliked interviews as well as public exposure. He always insisted that he prefers to lead a common life together with his family despite his important commitments.

The portrait of Gilberto Benetton by Luciano Micallef.

Gilberto Benetton, vice president of the Benetton Group, president of Edizione Holding and president of Benetton Sportsystem, also handled all Benetton sponsorships of athletic events. Through the Benetton Foundation he created a sports complex, Cittadella dello Sport in Treviso, which was open to the public. He was inducted into the Italian Basket Hall of Fame, due to his contribution to the sport of Italian basketball. Gilberto also was responsible for the sponsorship of the Volleyball and Rugby teams as well as the participation in the Formula Uno.

Benetton, founded in 1965, and initially producing fine colourful knitwear, expanded to become the largest apparel network in the world. Benetton Group’s diversification into a wide range of products and activities and its often controversial advertising techniques made the Benetton name a household word.

I met Gilberto at their headquarters in Villa Minelli in Ponzano, Treviso, in 1993 to present the portrait of his brother Luciano Benetton. Luciano was thrilled with the portrait and he immediately commented on my use of the colours which he identified as those of the Benetton logo. Soon after, Gilberto presented himself, tall, fair, emanating an aura of serenity and calmness. He offered to show me around Villa Minelli, the business headquarters which feels more like a museum.

Villa Minelli is situated in Ponzano, an impressive building restored by the family to its original splendour. It was built in the XVII century by the Venetian Minelli Family, a wealthy and important business family from Bergamo. During the early years the villa and its surroundings were used as an orphanage until 1960s when it was acquired by the Benetton family. The building is full of fine frescoes, many of which are executed in the typical tromp l’oeil style.

As we moved around this amazing building Gilberto explained to me the various complex stages of restoration. At the end of this wonderful tour he referred once more to Luciano’s portrait and somewhat reserved asked me if I would like to do his portrait as well. He suggested that this time I could refer to the colours of the basketball team that he promoted and of which he was the owner. Naturally I was delighted with such a commission. When I came to execute his portrait I wanted to transmit light, to present a discreet and reserved man whose face shines with generosity.

After this short experience I immediately realised that I was in the presence of a very special family, highly sensitive to their patrimony, the arts, design and in search of beauty. All this was already visible in their brand.

During my visit I had the opportunity to be introduced to his sister Giuliana and her daughter. Carlo, the youngest of the brothers, was in Argentina. Carlo was often in Patagonia since the company had bought huge tracts of land for the grazing of thousands of sheep, whose wool went into the firm’s sweaters. Very sadly, last July Carlo passed away aged 74, another victim of cancer.

Highly sensitive to their patrimony, the arts, design and in search of beauty

Benetton, independently and in conjunction with other groups and organisations, contributed to many initiatives aimed at social problems. Examples include a 1995 campaign aimed at generating AIDS awareness in India. Support for War Child, a charity that helps children in war zones around the world, has also been praised. Autographed Toscani posters were offered to visitors at a clothes show event in exchange for donations to War Child. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations invited Benetton to create a communications campaign for the first world food summit held in Rome.

At present there seems to be a campaign in Italy against the Benetton company after the collapse of the Morandi bridge since they are part of the Autostrada Italia responsible for the maintenance of the highways. This campaign is fuelled by political interests. One should never forget that the Benettons have made a major contribution to the economy of Italy, and never underestimate the economic boost that the Benetton family had in Italy during the 1970s and 1980s. They created a huge international market in the fashion design and were highly influential in the creating a very distinctive brand which was quickly copied by many of their rivals. Benetton is an important part of the industrial history of Italy. The peak of their success in the textile business was coming to an end in the late 1990s and it was time to diversify.

Luciano Micallef being shown around Villa Minelli, the impressive business headquarters in Ponzano restored by the family to its original splendour.

The Benetton family also contributed socially and they are well known for their philanthropic work. with the setting up of institutions for the disabled. Often their contributions remain anonymous as they do not like to display themselves and they prefer to avoid the limelight. Benetton have an enormous sense of social responsibility and this was eloquently demonstrated through the setting up of the Benetton Foundation.

The Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, launched in 1987 on the initiative of the Benetton brothers and headed ever since by Luciano Benetton, carries out research in the huge field of landscape study of locations, the history and culture of sports and cultural heritage, with the cooperation of scientific committees composed of experts active around the world. 

Another significant project was the 1994 setup of Fabrica, all though the vision of Luciano Benetton and Oliviero Toscani. Fabrica is a communication research centre. The range of disciplines is equally diverse, including design, visual communication, photography, interaction, video, music and journalism. Fabrica is based in a campus centred on a 17th-century villa, restored and significantly augmented by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. This is tangible proof of the Benetton concern towards the well-being of a society, not just locally but globally.

The demise of Gilberto will be strongly and widely felt, especially by his family but also by all those who have worked with him.