July 9 – The exhibition “Vespa: Italian icon. History, Culture and Design” is open until Sunday, August 3, in Sao Paulo. It was organized by the local Italian Institute of Culture in collaboration with the Piaggio Museum and Foundation in Pontedera (Pisa) and Scooteria Paulista. The exhibit is held in the Museu da Casa Brasileira (Av Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2705 – Itaim Bibi). Vespa is one of the most famous industrial design products in the world, often used as a symbol of Italian design, creativity, technology, culture and history. Vespa is an icon of Italy’s economic boom and a favorite of foreign cinema (from “Roman Holiday” with Audrey Hepburn to the more recent Bollywood productions). For the FIFA World Cup 2014, the Italian Cultural Institute decided to offer the public a major exhibition on the Vespa, displaying about 20 historical pieces (including prototypes) produced in Brazil, accompanied by artwork, projects from the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, videos and photographs that tell the story of the Vespa in Italy and Brazil. The exhibition devotes time and detail to the evolution of the Vespa’s design and technology over the years.
