"I began to understand the value of silence and the ritual simplicity of things, to learn the art
of listening and to observe rather than judge."
"Remember that debt works on Sundays, too."
"Life in the countryside was beautiful... because it allowed a physical contact with the seasons,
and we always felt the broad and powerful breath of nature, like a majestic choir."
"Obtaining everything at once deprives things of their true value."
"I have always been firmly convinced that in order to successfully stand out you need to focus on
one single project representing the dream of your life."
Humanistic capitalism: "rooted in strong ancient values, where making a profit should never harm
or offend people or things, and where part of the earnings should be earmarked to promote
initiatives aimed at concretely improving the condition of human life."
"If you listen to the elderly, you will eventually be able to see beyond their wrinkles and find
the children they once were."
Solomeo, the hamlet of the spirit (chap 1)
Cucinelli acquired the town's ruined castle and made it his company's headquarters.
(He walks the town early each morning; I imagine he feels such a strong sense of stewardship and
belonging in the town he helped restore.)
Growing up, at the village cafe, he learned from the adults there. There were card games that ran
until 2am. "A personal university in life and human knowledge."
Niccolo Machiavelli: "at night, in the austere silence of his studio, he engaged in solitary,
literary conversations with the ancient scholars."
"For me, gardens should spread around, open and barrierless."
"I feel I am driven by an immense desire: that my life, when it reaches its end, will not have
been useless for Creation."
Childhood years (chap 2)
"At that time, and in those places, I began to understand the value of silence and the ritual
simplicity of things, to learn the art of listening and to observe rather than judge."
In the town of Castel Rigone: "There I spent the most beautiful days of my childhood, and all the
memories that would fuel my future adventures have come gushing out of that house like the waves
of the sea."
He speaks to his daughters in their sleep as he watches over them: "The little girls cannot hear
me, but I like to believe that I am speaking to their souls."
On being rich: "basic flavours have no less taste than the most refined ones, since water and a
piece of bread give the fullest pleasure to those who learn to appreciate these values."
"Whenever I can, I spend part of my days alone, as I long for solitude as if it was a distant, but
beloved and precious friend."
Wisdom from his father
"'Do you want to be the richest man in the cemetery?' 'Remember that debt works on Sundays, too'.
I have learned a lot of about life from him not only through his words, but also through the
tears he sometimes shed."
At bedtime his mother would place her hand on each of her children's foreheads and say "God
bless you." They deeply remember the experience.
Keeping one's workplace, home, and city tidy and orderly: "Order is the first law of heaven." -
Alexander Pope.
"Life in the countryside was beautiful... because it allowed a physical contact with the seasons,
and we always felt the broad and powerful breath of nature, like a majestic choir."
"Grandpa Fiorino pointed out to me that each season has its own character and grace, enhanced by
the contrast with the previous one."
The four seasons: "there is a marriage between man and nature, in which the latter teaches us the
pace of time, one of the greatest values for mankind."
"Aunt Ginettta taught me how to relate to the afterlife and because of that I have no doubts about
the immortality of the soul."
His aunt was devastated by the death of her six year old son. She "loathed the idea of behaving
badly" and taking this life for granted.
"Don't you think that the essence of life and the strength f humanity lie in that spontaneous and
supportive brotherhood? As Aristotle wonderfully put it: 'Even calamities have a soul.'"
Learn to talk about lost loved ones with dignity, so that you can honor and enjoy the memory of
them without being overwhelmed by the accompanying sting.
"Let make the recollection of our lost ones a sweet memory. No one willingly returns to a
subject he cannot think about without pain. So necessarily the names of those whom we have loved
and lost come back to us with a stinging anxiety; but there is sweetness even in this string." -
Seneca
"Today, sitting on the sofa with my granddaughters Vittoria and Penelope in my arms, I tell them
about my youth as if it was a fairy tale."
"Obtaining everything at once deprives things of their true value."
Crushes on girls in his class:
"It was time for the first emotions, the first dream,s the first desires, and everything was
hidden, secret, as hot as fire and as wild as a spring stream. It was life that flowered in the
powerful strength of youth."
"Any project involves an effort and its ultimate purpose must be mankind and its dignity."
My university of the soul (chap 3)
Completing books: "When I got to the last page it was a bit like leaving a dear friend, and I felt
a little bereaved."
"I was adamant in my positive idealism. Time changes the shape, but not the substance of things."
The colours of cashmere (chap 4)
His vision for work, as a young man: "A pleasant workplace with long and relaxing breaks, where
craftsmanship would prevail."
St Benedict: "Try to be strict and sweet, a demanding teacher and a loving father."
"I have always been firmly convinced that in order to successfully stand out you need to focus on
one single project representing the dream of your life."
He bought a medieval castle in Solomeo. The owner sold it because Brunello said he would breathe
new life into it and make it a community asset again.
"I have always thought of myself as a guardian, and today also as a true ferryman commuting from
the past to the future."
(Great concept: a steward, preserving and commuting authentic values from one generation to the
next)
He sought after a right hand man — an architect — to help him restore Solomeo and be a long time
partner in the effort. He felt responsible for the town's beauty.
"When people are surrounded by simplicity, everything is clearer, they can understand beauty, and
every human quality is brought to its fullest expression."
Humanistic capitalism: "rooted in strong ancient values, where making a profit should never harm
or offend people or things, and where part of the earnings should be earmarked to promote
initiatives aimed at concretely improving the condition of human life."
Towards the world (chap 5)
When he came up with the idea to build a theater in the town of Solomeo: "Sleeping was out of the
question: the night was full of visions and questions."
My dear master craftsmen (chap 6)
He bought six mostly-unused warehouses in Solomeo built in the 70s, and tore them down to build a
large park to reactivate those sections of the town. (It's a satisfying vision to beautify the
town like this.)
A bright future (chap 7)
"In the old times work, when it did not mean exploitation, was rarely without rhythm, songs, human
solidarity and aesthetic pleasure."
Conversations with creation (chap 8)
"If you listen to the elderly, you will eventually be able to see beyond their wrinkles and find
the children they once were."
Daily thoughts (chap 10)
"I like frankness in business: it is a tool for simplifying things and pushing ahead quickly."