Established in Florence on 15 March 2013, the Fondazione Ferragamo intends to promote art and craftsmanship through the memory of Salvatore Ferragamo’s work and personality, encouraging public appreciation for his artistic qualities around the world and the crucial role he played in the history of not only twentieth century shoes, but international fashion as well. To achieve these aims, it is essential to protect and enhance Salvatore Ferragamo’s historical archive, which contains various items including documents, patents and products that tell the story of his entire professional career. The Fondazione Ferragamo is at the forefront in managing and protecting its archive, which is made up of heterogeneous funds that are implemented each day. The Archive allows to protect and promote the Salvatore Ferragamo Group’s historical-artistic heritage, which represents the memory of an entire industrial and social culture. As a testament to its effi ciency and functionality, the cataloging system used by the Historical Archive was taken as a case history for the project of the portal of the Archivi della Moda del Novecento as well as for the Europeana Fashion portal.

The Foundation’s activities include many forms of collaboration with Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, which can offer a significant contribution to the organization of exhibitions, seminars and educational projects. One of the Foundation’s main purposes is indeed to offer young people the chance to grow and learn, and Salvatore Ferragamo’s life and the principles on which he based his work constitute a fine example. These principles are discussed in his autobiography Shoema­ker of Dreams, in which he described his constant experimentation, his openness to the world of culture and the way in which he saw his life’s work as the mission to which he was called. The Foundation will conceive and organize training courses, workshop, cultural ini­tiatives and publications, also in partnership with public and private institutions sharing the same ideals.