Pavia, 15 June 2021

The future of industry lies in sustainability and the circular economy. Today, we want to pay tribute to the genius of Leonardo Da Vinc and his ability to look at the laws of nature, translate them into Innovation and give us Progress. We have drawn on his celebration of water – a vital element for the rice industry – to build a virtuous path in a green key.

The link between Pavia and Leonardo dates back to around 1482, when he wrote to Ludovico il Moro, boasting of his innovative engineering skills, in particular of “knowing how to conduct water from one place to another”.

This is why Riso Scotti chose Leonardo as its source of inspiration: his example is a driving force for a green growth to create the virtuous cycle of sustainability.

And so Leonardo’s head statue becomes a symbol for Riso Scotti, placed in the garden, next to the water wheel that recalls the origins in 1860 when Riso Scotti was born as a mill and will become a symbol of the evolution of the sustainable rice supply chain.

“Ours is a cultural path in line with the one started by the Municipality of Pavia, which in 2019 had the merit of promoting important initiatives dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci 500 years after his death. It is with great pride that we will host in front of the Riso Scotti headquarters the large sculpture depicting Leonardo’s senile face: a symbol that, thanks to the universal fame of the great genius, will help to make the city of Pavia, its territory and our brand known worldwide”. Dario Scotti

The resin and plaster sculpture, five metres high and four metres in diameter, was created in 2011 by artists Antonio Mastromarino and Eleonora Francioni. After a long journey through exhibitions, Leonardo’s face returns to Pavia to stay for good.

On Tuesday 22 June, the statue will be placed at the entrance to Riso Scotti.

“Leonardo is at home in Pavia. We are happy to be able to host him again, thanks to the magnificent initiative promoted by Riso Scotti. It is an example of far-sighted collaboration between a public institution and a company. A project that links Leonardo’s genius to the richness of water and the idea of sustainability and circular economy”. Mayor Mario Fabrizio Fracassi