Palazzo Africa

How trade builds bridges between continents

Palazzo Africa in costruzione alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Incontro del presidente della Repubblica Giovanni Leone con il corpo diplomatico alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/14/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

International Trade Centre

Ever since the first Milan Fair along the bastions of Porta Venezia, the search for ever greater international reach has been a vital driver for the Fair. The creation of the Fair itself was strongly supported by Milan’s business community as a channel to reach international markets.

La Milanina alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

It is no surprise, therefore, that in 1960 the Fair Board decided to transform the Pavilion of Nations—designed by Angelo Bianchetti and Cesare Pia and built after the war to be the fulcrum of the fairgrounds—into the International Trade Centre (ITC).

Mostra ufficiale dei Paesi Nordici nel palazzo delle nazioni alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1955 (post 1955/04/12 - ante 1955/04/27) by Ancillotti & MartinottiFondazione Fiera Milano

The centre housed the trade offices of all the nations officially represented at the fairgrounds. Each country was assigned its own space and free to set up its exhibition, within format rules that were the same for them all.

It was a perfectly democratic platform for trade relations.

Visitatori alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

The early 1970s

With the milestone of the fiftieth Milan Fair reached in 1972, the Fair Board embarked on a new project to give space to promoting closer ties between developed nations and the developing economies of a continent coming to terms with its turbulent history: the Africa Pavilion. 

Africa Pavilion International Trade Centre (1976)Fondazione Fiera Milano

Visita del presidente della Repubblica Giovanni Leone alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/14/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Esibizione del Gruppo folcloristico nigeriano alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Esibizione del Gruppo folcloristico nigeriano alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/20/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

During the Milan Fair, the pavilion was also used for collective exhibitions and initiatives to jointly promote African countries.

Visita del Presidente della Repubblica senegalese alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Visita del Presidente della Repubblica senegalese alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/21/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

In the following years, as many as twenty African governments chose to transform their spaces in the pavilion into permanent trade offices for the European market.

Africa Pavilion (1972)Fondazione Fiera Milano

Visita di una delegazione della Indeco dallo Zambia alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Visita di una delegazione della Indeco dallo Zambia alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/20/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Cerimonia d'inaugurazione di Palazzo Africa alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Cerimonia d'inaugurazione di Palazzo Africa alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/21/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

The features of the new pavilion and its value for the strategic development of the Milan Fair were outlined by secretary-general Michele Guido Franci in an article for La Fiera di Milano: “The Africa Pavilion represents the first European initiative conceived for the specific purpose of fostering direct ties with the official trade representatives of an entire continent.

Escavatore cingolato Hydromac in esposizione alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

The institution can legitimately consider itself an effective and practical new way of responding to the opportunities signalled by the international investment market. […] This modern centre is set up with trade offices designed according to extremely functional criteria.

Visita del Presidente della Repubblica senegalese alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Visita del Presidente della Repubblica senegalese alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/21/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

They each have a floor plan of 90m2, of which 25 is space for the exhibition of local products.

Operatori economici alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

With these markets, the possibilities for Italy to establish economic relations are a high-stakes game to be played with the offer of capital goods, machinery, production systems, and manufactured goods, but above all through partnership agreements and technical assistance, and the organization of joint ventures to create consortiums for the management of services.

Visita del ministro ugandese dell'Agricoltura, Commercio e Industria Fabian Okwaare alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Visita del ministro ugandese dell'Agricoltura, Commercio e Industria Fabian Okwaare alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/20/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

The entire trade strategy with these important areas is in fact changing profoundly, as business deals are no longer about supplying manufactured goods in exchange for other manufactured or semi-finished goods, but are branching out in different directions. Business deals are increasingly made for the supply of an idea of a global market.”

Visita del Presidente della Repubblica senegalese alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/21/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Opening in style

The new International Trade Centre was opened, with construction work still under way, on April 21st, 1972 by Senegalese President—and poet—Léopold Sédar Senghor, with the Italian foreign minister Aldo Moro. 

Visita del ministro delle Finanze nigeriano alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 Visita del ministro delle Finanze nigeriano alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (4/20/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Padiglione Eni alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Automobili in coda verso la Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1972 (14/04/1972 - 25/04/1972) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano

Credits: Story

This virtual path has been created in collaboration with Promemoria Group.
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Fondazione Fiera Milano Historical Archive:
archiviostorico.fondazionefiera.it

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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