“A great architect by proxy”: this is how Adolfo Natalini once described him. Reflective and restless, capable of brilliant intuitions and extraordinary stories, Vittorio Savi chose architecture as his profession because he believed someone had to tell its story. Visionary and unconventional from his earliest studies, Savi wrote, while still very young, the first book devoted to the work of Aldo Rossi—a volume that soon became essential reading and a touchstone for critical debate. Throughout his career, he engaged tirelessly with every dimension of architecture: from writing to photography, from criticism to practice.
This book pays tribute to one of the most significant figures of the second half of the twentieth century, who elevated the narration of architecture to its highest form. Fifteen authors have gathered fragments of shared experiences and memories, seeking to restore the voice of someone who understood architecture as a comprehensive vision of the world.

Vittorio Savi (1948–2011) was Professor of Architectural Design at the University of Florence. He also taught Aesthetics at the DAMS programme of the University of Bologna and History of Modern Architecture at the Universities of Mendrisio and Ferrara, contributing to a substantial body of scholarly work presented at conferences throughout Europe. A passionate bibliophile and collector of books, Savi assembled a library that reflected the breadth of his interests and intellectual pursuits: literature, architecture, cinema, and photography.