The call for entries, which involves students from the Italian State Fine Arts Academies, was created to bring the worlds of art and literature closer together. The competition calls for the design and realisation of a sculptural artefact with references to culture, writing, reading and the prize. The winning work constitutes the BPER Prize to the finalist authors of the Premio Strega.
A story we continue to write year after year.
Since 2015, BPER has been supporting and promoting the Premio Strega, Italy’s most prestigious literary prize, organised by the Maria and Goffredo Bellonci Foundation and Liquore Strega, with the support of the Rome Chamber of Commerce. This partnership forms part of the bank’s long-standing commitment to promoting culture – and reading in particular – as a social asset that fosters growth and development.
80 years of history
In 2026, the Premio Strega will celebrate its 80th anniversary, cementing its status as Italy’s longest-running cultural event. To mark the occasion, an even more packed programme of events — including talks, exhibitions and widespread initiatives — reinforces its central role in the country’s cultural history and in contemporary discourse.
The slogan for this edition is ‘Quasi una vita’ (Almost a Lifetime), taken from the title of the novel by Corrado Alvaro, winner of the 1951 prize.
The slogan for this edition is ‘Quasi una vita’ (Almost a Lifetime), taken from the title of the novel by Corrado Alvaro, winner of the 1951 prize.
Premio Strega
With his novel I convitati di pietra, (Einaudi), Michele Mari has won the 80th edition of the Strega Prize.
European Strega Prize
The winner is Leila Guerriero, for her novel La chiamata. Storia di una donna argentina. (SUR). BPER has also awarded the same prize to Maria Nicola, the translator of the winning book, as a tangible sign of the importance of translation as a tool for cultural dialogue.
The interviews
Strega Prize
During the Turin leg of the Strega Tour, we met and interviewed Teresa Ciabatti, Michele Mari and Matteo Nucci, finalists in the 80th edition of the Strega Prize.
2026 Strega Prize | Interview with Teresa Ciabatti, Michele Mari and Matteo Nucci
During the Turin leg of the Strega Tour, we met and interviewed the finalists of the 80th edition of the Strega Prize.
2026 Strega Prize | Interview with Alcide Pierantozzi, Bianca Pitzorno and Elena Rui
During the Rome leg of the Strega Tour, we met and interviewed the finalists of the 80th edition of the Strega Prize.
Intervista a Leila Guerriero vincitrice del Premio Strega Europeo 2026
Intervista a Maria Nicola, traduttrice del libro vincitore del Premio Strega Europeo 2026
The Strega Prize sculpture: the design competition
Valerio Sannino, a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, is the winner of the 2026 edition of BPER Art, the annual competition involving Italy’s state-run academies of fine arts, which invites students to explore themes such as writing, reading and culture through a sculptural project. The winning work becomes the BPER Prize, awarded to the finalists of the Strega Prize. This year’s piece is entitled ‘Pagine’ and stems from the idea of the book and its transformation in the present day, yet it goes beyond its most immediate form. It is a work composed of different meanings and levels of interpretation, which gains depth above all when described by the person who conceived and created it.
The events calendar
BPER is a sponsor of all the events, supporting reading and culture in all its forms.
18th May
Opening of the exhibition ‘One, Five, Twelve: Eighty Years of the Strega Prize’e
17 May, Turin
European Strega Prize Final
27 May, Genoa
Strega Giovani Prize Final
3 June
Announcement of the five finalists
Strega Prize for Fiction
8 July - Rome
Strega Prize for Fiction Final
13 October, Rome
Strega Poetry Prize Final
The Strega Prize sculpture: the ideas competition
The Strega Prize sculpture: the ideas competition
Strega Tour
In 2026, we will once again be supporting the series of events featuring the Strega Prize nominees on their tour across Italy, bringing books, authors and ideas to local communities. The Prize finalists will take part in almost 30 events, meeting the public and presenting the nominated novels. This initiative brings culture closer to people, making it vibrant, accessible and shared.
The exhibition marking his 80th birthday at MACRO in Rome
In 2026, the Strega Prize celebrates its 80th edition with the exhibition “One, Five, Twelve. Eighty Years of the Strega Prize”, organised in collaboration with BPER.
Curated by Maria Luisa Frisa and Mario Lupano, the exhibition is on display at MACRO – the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome – until 30 August. It is a journey that intertwines the public and private spheres and, through the books and the history of the Prize, offers an original perspective on the cultural and social evolution of the country.
Curated by Maria Luisa Frisa and Mario Lupano, the exhibition is on display at MACRO – the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome – until 30 August. It is a journey that intertwines the public and private spheres and, through the books and the history of the Prize, offers an original perspective on the cultural and social evolution of the country.
Premio Strega
Andrea Bajani is the winner of the Premio Strega 2025 with the novel “L'anniversario”.
The five finalists 2025 announced
On 4 June, from the stage of Benevento's Roman Theatre, Donatella Di Pietrantonio, winner of the 2024 edition, announced the five finalists for the 2025 Strega Prize: Andrea Bajani, Michele Ruol, Paolo Nori, Nadia Terranova and Elisabetta Rasy.
The five finalists 2025 announced
The five finalists 2025 announced
On 4 June, from the stage of Benevento's Roman Theatre, Donatella Di Pietrantonio, winner of the 2024 edition, announced the finalists of the 2025 Strega Prize who will take part in a tour of 18 stops, including one abroad.
The winner will be announced on Thursday 3 July at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome. We, as always, will follow the tour step by step.
The winner will be announced on Thursday 3 July at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome. We, as always, will follow the tour step by step.
The story of the 2025 edition
Previous editions
The finalists for the 2025 Strega Prize
The finalists for the 2024 Strega Prize
Strega Prize
Donatella di Pietrantonio is the winner of the Strega Prize 2024 with the novel “L'eta fragile”.
European Strega Prize
In 2024, “Triste Tigre” by Neige Sinno won, BPER awarded a prize to the work's translator, Luciana Cisbani.
Young Strega Prize
"Donatella di Pietrantonio's “The Fragile Age” wins. BPER with a competition awarded the best review.
Strega Prize for girls and boys
"Matthew Gray Gubler's “Rumple Buttercup” wins. BPER awards schools for reading activities and best review.
Strega Tour
The prize finalists went on a tour of around 30 stops to meet readers around Italy.
The finalist of 2024 edition
Dario Voltolini with "Invernale"
Chiara Valerio with "Chi dice e chi tace"
Raffaella Romagnolo with "Aggiustare l'universo"
Tommaso Giartosio with "Autobiogrammatica"
Paolo di Paolo with "Romanzo senza umani"
Donatella di Pietrantonio with "L'età fragile"
A jury for the Strega Prize at BPER
In a video message, Loredana Lipperini, Italian writer and journalist, tells us about her experience as chair of the reading panel for the Strega Prize at BPER. This initiative involved the Bank’s staff in reading, discussing and evaluating the nominated works, giving them the opportunity to contribute, through their votes, to the awarding of the prize. Her account highlights a key aspect for the success of any project: the value of participation. Initiatives really work when they manage to engage not only the audience they are aimed at, but also the people whose contributions make them possible.
Enviromentalprotection initiatives.
To ensure a future for our planet we must change our present.
At the BPER Group, we do this by reducing consumption, purchasing products with environmental quality labels, managing resources better and supporting projects that safeguard the environment.
Reducing paper use
370 tonnes less paper consumed, saved through digitisation and recycling processes.
370 tonnes less paper consumed, saved through digitisation and recycling processes.
Energy Management
Efficient management of our resources and use of energy from 100% renewable sources.
Sustainable Mobility
Implementation of concrete initiatives to reduce the emissions of our colleagues' home-work journeys.
Green Supply Chain
Purchasing eco-labelled products.
Paper Dematerialization
In our offices and branches, 99% of the paper we use is recycled (the remaining 1% is Certified Paper).
We have launched various projects to reduce paper consumption:
We have launched various projects to reduce paper consumption:
newspapers supplied in digital format
dematerialised F24 forms
Finitalia paperless
BPER Factor's WIP platform (Web Interactive Platform)
Arca Fondi SGR initiative s
replacing ordinary mail communications with certified email (PEC)
promoting the use of FEA (Advanced Electronic Signature)
replacing printers with more effective ones
streamlining postal charge
Energy Management
The Group is committed to reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions by 50.2% by 2030. Highlights as at 31 December 2023:
- 100% electricity consumption from renewable sources
- 14 photovoltaic systems installe d, 1,829,294 kWh of renewable energy produced
- reduction in electricity and heat consumption: -1.2% compared to 2022
What does the Energy Plan include?
- con verting gas-fired generators into heat pumps
- electric car fleet
- implementing an IT platform for gas leak detection
- optimised use of Headquarters functional spaces
- developing a centralised BEMS (Building Energy Management System) management platform with AI algorithms
- implementing BEMS control and monitoring systems
For more information, Read Chapter 6 of the Sustainability Report.
Sustainable mobility
We are committed to implementing sustainable mobility initiatives to concretely benefit people who work at the Bank:
- installation of electric cars and bikes charging stations
- purchase of electric bicycles and repair kits
- car sharing app for employees
- awareness-raising activities about sustainable mobility for employees
- increase of company electric cars
- company shuttles between certain locations
- offsetting the emissions of fuels used with DKV Card Climate