This Monday, June 12, the former President of the Italian Council, Silvio Berlusconi, died in Milan at the age of 86. As a symbolic personality in Italy, he wanted to be called “Il Cavaliere” in order to break with the political traditions of his time.
A term with heroic qualities. Former President of the Italian Council, Silvio Berlusconi, died of complications from leukemia on Monday 12 June at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. The man, who was one of the richest men in Italy and had a fortune that Forbes estimates at more than €6 billion, once wanted to be nicknamed “Il Cavaliere”, which means “Chevalier” in French.
He inherited a nickname in 1977 from the President of the Italian Republic Gianni Leone. At that time, Silvio Berlusconi had obtained the title of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Knight of Labour, ed.), which is generally given to people who stand out for their commitment and contribution to the economic development of Italy thanks to entrepreneurship and Commitment to innovation. However, it is not a political title, nor is it tied to the activities of any particular political party.
In fact, Silvio Berlusconi received the “Cavaliere del Lavoro” for his achievements as an entrepreneur in the media, construction and entertainment industries.
According to the website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic, the Quirinale, “after graduating in law with excellent marks, he (Silvio Berlusconi) decided to start his own business in the construction sector and founded the company “Cantieri Riuniti Milanesi”. Spa”‘
“In 1963 he founded the company “Edilnord”, which built a center for 4,000 inhabitants in the province of Milan, the first in Lombardy with a shopping center, a sports center, playgrounds, kindergartens and elementary schools,” we can also read.
And that’s not all. From 1969 to 1975, the former Council President carried out the construction of “Milano 2”, a town of 10,000 inhabitants bordering the capital, Milan. This project is equipped with “all the most modern public and social facilities, the first urban unit in Italy with three distinct circuits for cars, cyclists and pedestrians,” added the Quirinale.
With this nickname, Silvio Berlusconi wanted to present himself as a “new” personality by emphasizing his “heroic” qualities. He finally lost his title in 2014, a year after his final conviction for tax evasion.