WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 Venice. I mean, just the word summons a very 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:04.879 specific set of images. Oh, absolutely. It's 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:07.480 the romantic Venice, the postcard version that 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:09.279 everyone knows. Right. You're probably picturing 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:13.140 gondolas, tourists crowding St. Mark's Square. 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:15.339 Maybe you're sipping an incredibly expensive 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.600 espresso while, you know, worrying about the 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:22.160 high tides soaking your shoes. The classic Venetian 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:25.579 experience. Exactly. But today we are going to 00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:28.539 completely shatter that postcard. We're looking 00:00:28.539 --> 00:00:31.280 at a side of Venice that feels less like a vacation 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:33.799 and, well, more like a tactical briefing. It 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:35.560 really is a totally different side of the city. 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:37.979 I want you to imagine a high school experience 00:00:37.979 --> 00:00:40.420 where, instead of catching a yellow school bus, 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:43.439 you're taking a Vaporetto to a fortified island. 00:00:43.899 --> 00:00:46.880 And instead of typical gym class, you're out 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:49.280 rowing on the lagoon. And instead of stressing 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.380 about what to wear or how to style your hair, 00:00:51.820 --> 00:00:55.500 you are in a crisp... spotless naval uniform. 00:00:55.619 --> 00:00:57.439 It is a completely different universe. We're 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:59.780 talking about the Francesca Morasini Naval Military 00:00:59.780 --> 00:01:03.140 School. And honestly, Just calling it a high 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:05.560 school feels it feels like a massive understatement. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:08.140 It really does. It's an institution in every 00:01:08.140 --> 00:01:10.579 sense of the word. And that is exactly what we're 00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:12.719 deep diving into today. This isn't just about 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.640 a cool building in a historic city. It is about 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:18.579 a radical educational experiment. A very successful 00:01:18.579 --> 00:01:21.120 one, too. Right. It blends standard academics 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.420 with military rigor and this deep, almost spiritual 00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:28.299 connection to the sea. We've got the history, 00:01:28.579 --> 00:01:32.000 the curriculum, and a list of alumni that is 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.879 frankly kind of baffling in its variety. It is. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.439 And I think the key insight here for you, the 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:39.799 listener, is to look at this not just as a school, 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.799 but as a leadership factory. A leadership factory. 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:45.120 I like that. Because whether these kids end up 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:49.480 as admirals or CEOs or even fashion moguls, the 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:51.819 Morasini method is doing something very specific 00:01:51.819 --> 00:01:54.299 to their wiring during those formative teenage 00:01:54.299 --> 00:01:56.579 years. So let's orient ourselves first. If I'm 00:01:56.579 --> 00:01:59.459 looking at a map of Venice right now, where exactly 00:01:59.459 --> 00:02:02.019 are we? Because Venice is a maze, and I assume 00:02:02.019 --> 00:02:04.579 this isn't right next to the Doge's Palace. No, 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.819 no. You have to look away from the chaos of the 00:02:06.819 --> 00:02:09.060 center. You need to look toward the island of 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:11.789 Santelana. Santelana. Right, it's the southeastern 00:02:11.789 --> 00:02:14.210 tail of the main island group. Historically, 00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:17.490 it's a bit greener, a bit quieter, and much more 00:02:17.490 --> 00:02:19.710 spacious than the rest of Venice. And spacious 00:02:19.710 --> 00:02:21.889 is definitely the key word here. The sources 00:02:21.889 --> 00:02:24.889 mention the campus is 47 ,000 square meters. 00:02:25.030 --> 00:02:28.069 Which is huge. In Venice, where land is basically 00:02:28.069 --> 00:02:31.129 gold dust and apartments are the size of shoeboxes, 00:02:31.430 --> 00:02:34.719 that footprint is just... Massive. It's a statement 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:37.639 of power, really. You have this massive enclave 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:40.520 surrounded by the lagoon. It separates the students 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:42.719 physically and psychologically for the rest of 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:44.500 the world. Kind of creating its own ecosystem. 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.539 Exactly. It's a city within a city designed solely 00:02:47.539 --> 00:02:50.139 for the purpose of molding these 15 to 18 year 00:02:50.139 --> 00:02:53.340 olds. It's an isolated environment, which is 00:02:53.340 --> 00:02:55.900 critical for the kind of training they do. Right, 00:02:55.900 --> 00:02:58.360 because you can't really instill military discipline 00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:00.479 if tourists are wandering through your drill 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:03.340 practice eating gelato. No, you definitely cannot. 00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:05.340 And let's clarify the demographic here for a 00:03:05.340 --> 00:03:07.280 second. This covers the final three years of 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.120 high school, right? Correct. In the Italian educational 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:13.800 system, that's the Liceo phase. So the student 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:16.699 body is composed of boys and girls between the 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.830 ages of 15 and 18. But I assume you don't just 00:03:19.830 --> 00:03:22.650 sign up on a website, pack your bags, and show 00:03:22.650 --> 00:03:26.009 up. No, not at all. It is highly selective. The 00:03:26.009 --> 00:03:29.689 documents phrase it as positively pass an admission 00:03:29.689 --> 00:03:32.650 process. Positively pass. That sounds intense. 00:03:32.789 --> 00:03:34.990 It is. This is the first filter. You have to 00:03:34.990 --> 00:03:36.770 actually want to be there, and you have to prove 00:03:36.770 --> 00:03:39.349 you can handle the academic and physical pressure 00:03:39.349 --> 00:03:41.870 before you even step foot on the island. It's 00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:44.099 highly competitive. So once you get through that 00:03:44.099 --> 00:03:46.479 gauntlet and you get in, you are walking under 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:50.439 the banner of Francesco Morisini. Now, my Venetian 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:52.620 history is a little rusty. Who is the guy on 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:55.419 the sign? Why is he the patron saint of this 00:03:55.419 --> 00:03:57.800 place? This is a great question because names 00:03:57.800 --> 00:04:00.120 really matter in military tradition. They aren't 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:02.620 just labels. They're aspirations. OK. Francesco 00:04:02.620 --> 00:04:05.199 Morisini wasn't just a politician. He was a doge, 00:04:05.460 --> 00:04:07.060 which was the leader of the Venetian Republic. 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:10.139 But before that, and perhaps more importantly 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:13.080 for the school, he was a warrior. He was a very 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:15.419 famous admiral in the 17th century. Is he the 00:04:15.419 --> 00:04:18.540 guy who fought the Ottomans? Relentlessly. He 00:04:18.540 --> 00:04:20.879 was actually known as the Peloponnesiaco for 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:23.660 his conquests in the Peloponnese. Wow. Yeah, 00:04:23.660 --> 00:04:27.060 he was a man of action, a sea captain who eventually 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:29.980 became the head of state. So by naming the school 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:33.060 after him, they aren't just honoring some bureaucrat. 00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.500 They're telling these kids, you are the heirs. 00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:39.910 to a maritime empire. You're following in the 00:04:39.910 --> 00:04:43.250 footsteps of a warrior prince. That sets a pretty 00:04:43.250 --> 00:04:45.990 high bar for a Tuesday morning math class. Just 00:04:45.990 --> 00:04:48.370 here's your calculus test. And by the way, remember, 00:04:48.490 --> 00:04:51.069 you are the heir to a maritime empire. It definitely 00:04:51.069 --> 00:04:53.649 creates a certain atmosphere on campus. Yeah. 00:04:53.769 --> 00:04:56.449 And that brings us to the curriculum itself, 00:04:56.610 --> 00:04:58.490 which is a fascinating hybrid. Yeah. Let's get 00:04:58.490 --> 00:05:00.170 into that. Because it's not just marching around 00:05:00.170 --> 00:05:03.180 in uniform. No. Academics are rigorous. You have 00:05:03.180 --> 00:05:05.519 civil teachers handling the standard Italian 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:08.560 high school subjects. So that's Latin, math, 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.459 history, literature. Because they still have 00:05:11.459 --> 00:05:13.560 to pass the national exams just like everyone 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:16.019 else. Exactly. They have to be ready for university. 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:19.339 But then you have naval officers fully integrated 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:22.079 into the faculty. So you are learning Dante's 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.879 Inferno in one hour. And then what? Navigation? 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:29.220 Structure, discipline, and yes, serious maritime 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:32.259 skills. The mission statement in the sources 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:34.899 is actually quite poetic. It says the goal is 00:05:34.899 --> 00:05:37.300 to promote interest and love for life at sea. 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:40.279 Which sounds nice on taper. Right. But in practice, 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:43.199 that means getting wet. It means physical exertion 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:45.800 in the elements. The source material specifically 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:49.040 lists sailing, rowing, and swimming. And these 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:51.160 aren't just weekend hobbies here. At my high 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:52.639 school, if you were on the rowing team, that 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:54.800 was kind of a niche early morning thing. Sure. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.779 Here, it sounds mandatory. It's vocational. In 00:05:57.779 --> 00:06:00.040 a normal school, rowing is a club you join for 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:02.959 fun. Here, rowing and sailing are the medium 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:04.899 through which you learn teamwork and command. 00:06:05.300 --> 00:06:07.959 You can't fake it on a boat. If you don't pull 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:10.120 your weight, the boat literally doesn't move. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:12.620 If you don't tie the knot correctly, the sail 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:15.740 comes loose. It provides immediate, undeniable 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:17.980 feedback on your performance. It's high stakes. 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:20.879 Nature doesn't care about your excuses. Precisely. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:24.199 And the ultimate feedback mechanism for all this 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:27.029 seems to be the summer term. Oh yes, I saw the 00:06:27.029 --> 00:06:29.230 mention of the Amerigo Vespucci in our sources 00:06:29.230 --> 00:06:31.769 and I actually got a little jealous. It's really 00:06:31.769 --> 00:06:35.009 the crown jewel of the Morasini experience. For 00:06:35.009 --> 00:06:37.170 listeners who haven't seen a picture of it, describe 00:06:37.170 --> 00:06:40.310 this ship because it is stunning. The Amerigo 00:06:40.310 --> 00:06:43.480 Vespucci is a massive tall ship. We're talking 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:46.980 full, traditional rigging, three masts, acres 00:06:46.980 --> 00:06:49.480 of canvas sails. It looks like it sailed straight 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:51.759 out of the 19th century. Exactly. It is the training 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.500 vessel for the Italian Navy, and is widely considered 00:06:54.500 --> 00:06:56.040 one of the most beautiful ships in the world. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.120 And these teenagers are crewing it. Like, they 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:01.420 aren't just passengers taking photos. Oh, no. 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:03.839 They are the crew. Yeah. And let's be very clear. 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:06.620 This is not a luxury cruise. These education 00:07:06.620 --> 00:07:09.139 campaigns, as the Navy calls them, are grueling. 00:07:09.259 --> 00:07:11.279 I can imagine. You are sleeping in hammocks? 00:07:11.660 --> 00:07:14.399 You are scrubbing wooden decks. You are climbing 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:16.980 the ribbing to set sails while the ship is pitching 00:07:16.980 --> 00:07:19.839 and rolling in the open sea. It is physically 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.959 exhausting work. It sounds like a modern -day 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:24.500 initiation rite. That is exactly what it functions 00:07:24.500 --> 00:07:28.379 as. It strips away all the normal comforts of 00:07:28.379 --> 00:07:31.600 modern teenage life. The smartphones, the privacy, 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:34.759 the downtime, all gone. Replaced by the watch 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.759 system. The watch system and the ocean. It creates 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:41.319 a shared hardship. And sociologically speaking, 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:44.480 we know that shared hardship is the absolute 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:49.180 fastest way to bond a group of people together. 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.579 Which perfectly explains the alumni network, 00:07:51.660 --> 00:07:54.180 which we will definitely get to. But before we 00:07:54.180 --> 00:07:56.939 look at where these students go after they graduate... 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:58.680 I want to look back at where this place came 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:00.879 from. It's quite a story. Yeah, because the history 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:03.360 of the school itself is a bit of a roller coaster. 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:06.220 It really mirrors the turbulent history of Italy 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:08.420 in the 20th century. It is a perfect mirror. 00:08:08.980 --> 00:08:10.720 If you go back to the original founding, we are 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:14.420 looking at the year 1937. 1937 in Italy. That 00:08:14.420 --> 00:08:17.279 is a very loaded date. Very loaded. The world 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.720 was obviously a very different place. Mussolini 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:22.120 was in power. Now the school was originally established 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:24.360 on that exact same island, but it wasn't the 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:26.300 Murasini School yet. Right. It was called the 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:29.500 Collegio Navale della Giovento Italiana del Litorio. 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:32.419 The Italian Lictor Youth Naval College. That 00:08:32.419 --> 00:08:36.120 is very specific political branding. Yes. The 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:38.059 sources are clear on this. It was established 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:40.740 during the fascist era. And our goal here is 00:08:40.740 --> 00:08:43.039 just to present the historical record exactly 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.879 as the sources lay it out. The explicit purpose 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:49.159 at that time was to prepare young men for the 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:52.149 Regia Marina. the Royal Navy. Basically to serve 00:08:52.149 --> 00:08:54.750 the regime's expansionist goals of that era. 00:08:55.029 --> 00:08:57.629 Effectively, yes. It was a feeder school for 00:08:57.629 --> 00:09:00.389 the war effort leading into the 1940s. And then 00:09:00.389 --> 00:09:02.669 obviously World War II happens and things go 00:09:02.669 --> 00:09:05.549 very poorly for Italy. Right. And as a result, 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:08.649 the school closes in 1945 following the defeat. 00:09:08.909 --> 00:09:10.730 And this is the interesting part. It stays closed. 00:09:11.090 --> 00:09:13.899 Really? For how long? For over a decade. The 00:09:13.899 --> 00:09:15.860 campus on Sandalena just sits there, becomes 00:09:15.860 --> 00:09:18.120 this empty shell, a ghost school, essentially. 00:09:18.340 --> 00:09:21.039 That is a long hiatus. I just imagine these impressive 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:22.919 buildings sitting there gathering dust and sea 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:25.139 salt. So what finally brings it back to life? 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.679 The Cold War, essentially, and the broader rebuilding 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:30.779 of the Italian state. In 1961, the boarding school 00:09:30.779 --> 00:09:33.919 finally reopens. OK, 1961. And this is when they 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.740 rebrand. The fascist era name is gone, obviously. 00:09:37.259 --> 00:09:40.159 In comes Francesco Morasini. That makes total 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:43.100 sense. They reach way back into the glorious 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:45.440 history of the Venetian Republic to find a symbol 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:48.419 of maritime pride that wasn't tainted by 20th 00:09:48.419 --> 00:09:50.539 century politics. Exactly. It's a smart pivot. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:54.620 You use the deep centuries old history to bypass 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:57.360 the recent problematic history. Saying we aren't 00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:00.460 about the 1940s, we're about the 1600s. Right. 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:03.679 But even when it reopened in 1961, it was technically 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:06.740 just a naval boarding school. It didn't get its 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:09.759 current heavy hitter status until much later. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.500 1998 is the key date here. 1998, what happened 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:16.879 then? That is when it was granted formal military 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.059 status. Okay, but what does that actually change 00:10:19.059 --> 00:10:21.080 practically? Is it just a paperwork thing, like 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:23.480 a new letterhead? Oh, it's much more than that. 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:25.840 It changes the funding structure, the formal 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.899 chain of command, and the overall prestige. It 00:10:28.899 --> 00:10:31.480 officially became the Skrull and Navale military. 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:34.740 So it leveled up. Exactly. It's effectively on 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:37.409 par with the formal military academy now. It 00:10:37.409 --> 00:10:39.830 signals that the Navy is fully invested in this 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:42.549 institution, not just as a high school, but as 00:10:42.549 --> 00:10:45.090 a strategic asset for the country. And then, 00:10:45.750 --> 00:10:47.870 arguably the biggest cultural shift of all comes 00:10:47.870 --> 00:10:50.190 about a decade later. We touched on this briefly 00:10:50.190 --> 00:10:53.250 in the intro. The student body itself changes. 00:10:53.570 --> 00:10:56.970 Yes. 2009. That is when the doors finally opened 00:10:56.970 --> 00:11:00.379 to women. It took until 2009. That feels really 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:02.200 late, doesn't it? It does feel late, but you 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:04.679 have to remember it aligns with the broader integration 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:06.799 of women into the Italian Armed Forces, which 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:09.620 was a gradual process. But once it happened at 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:12.600 Morasini. It fundamentally changed the dynamic. 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:14.899 It's now a fully co -ed military environment. 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:17.399 I can only imagine the dynamic of a co -ed boarding 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:20.480 school where everyone is in crisp uniforms doing 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.240 inspections and training on tall ships. Honestly, 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:25.379 it sounds like a pitch for a TV show. Well, you 00:11:25.379 --> 00:11:27.399 aren't the first person to think that. It actually 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:30.620 was a TV show. Wait, really? Like a reality show? 00:11:31.019 --> 00:11:33.980 MTV's Real World Venice? No, not quite reality 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:37.100 trash. It was a high quality documentary series. 00:11:37.700 --> 00:11:40.919 Director Stefano Aleva made an 11 episode series 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:43.460 specifically documenting life at the school. 00:11:43.899 --> 00:11:46.840 That is fascinating. It really captured the public's 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:49.159 imagination. It showed the rigorous inspections, 00:11:49.379 --> 00:11:52.240 the academic stress, the sailing, the camaraderie, 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:54.440 kind of turned the school into a pop culture 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:56.779 icon in Italy. Which is pretty rare. It breaks 00:11:56.779 --> 00:11:59.299 that wall of secrecy. Usually military academies 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:01.860 are these closed off black boxes you never see 00:12:01.860 --> 00:12:05.139 inside. It's true. But Morasini seems to be a 00:12:05.139 --> 00:12:08.000 magnet for attention in general. I was looking 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.240 at the list of visitors in our source material, 00:12:10.659 --> 00:12:12.419 and it's not just parents coming for weekend 00:12:12.419 --> 00:12:15.019 visits. It reads more like a diplomatic itinerary. 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:17.220 Exactly. When you have foreign dignitaries visiting 00:12:17.220 --> 00:12:19.799 Venice, you take them to Morasini. The big one 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:22.240 in the historical records is Jimmy Carter. The 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.240 U .S. president? Yes, he visited in 1980. Wow. 00:12:25.740 --> 00:12:28.720 Just imagine the security logistics for a sitting 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.620 U .S. president on a small island in the Venetian 00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:33.879 Lagoon. It must have been a nightmare for the 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:37.379 Secret Service. And more recently, for the 60th 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:40.360 anniversary of the school's reopening, President 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.860 Mattarella, the Italian president, was there 00:12:43.860 --> 00:12:46.240 to celebrate. So the state clearly treats this 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.779 place as a symbol of national excellence. It 00:12:48.779 --> 00:12:51.799 is a showpiece. But that brings me to the million 00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:54.960 dollar question. Does it work? We have these 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.799 kids for three years. We put them through the 00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:59.360 grinder. We put them on the tall ship. We make 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:02.139 them wear the uniform and do the drills. Do they 00:13:02.139 --> 00:13:05.139 all become admirals? You would assume so. Right. 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:07.220 You would assume it's just a straight pipeline 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:10.039 directly to the bridge of a destroyer. But the 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:13.210 data. The actual alumni list tells a much more 00:13:13.210 --> 00:13:14.950 interesting story. Yeah, I was looking at this 00:13:14.950 --> 00:13:17.090 list in the notes, and eclectic is really the 00:13:17.090 --> 00:13:19.590 only word for it. It is all over the place. It's 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:22.149 wildly diverse. Yeah. Now, yes, you do have the 00:13:22.149 --> 00:13:24.110 military brass that is the core function of the 00:13:24.110 --> 00:13:27.169 school, and it works. People like Admiral Luigi 00:13:27.169 --> 00:13:30.049 Panelli Mantelli. Who was he? He became the chief 00:13:30.049 --> 00:13:32.990 of defense, literally the top soldier in all 00:13:32.990 --> 00:13:35.289 of Italy. OK, that's as high as it goes. And 00:13:35.289 --> 00:13:37.389 Gianpaolo Di Paola, who served as the minister 00:13:37.389 --> 00:13:40.889 of defense. and Admiral Eduardo Serra. So the 00:13:40.889 --> 00:13:42.970 system works perfectly for the military track. 00:13:43.230 --> 00:13:45.549 If you want to be a top general or admiral, this 00:13:45.549 --> 00:13:48.070 is clearly a good place to start. Clearly. But 00:13:48.070 --> 00:13:50.529 then you pivot and look at the business world. 00:13:51.090 --> 00:13:54.289 You have Manfredi Lefebvre du Videau. He's a 00:13:54.289 --> 00:13:56.950 billionaire. He built silver sea cruises. OK, 00:13:56.950 --> 00:14:00.190 but to be fair, that is still boats. He just 00:14:00.190 --> 00:14:02.809 swapped the Gray Naval hull for a luxury liner. 00:14:03.070 --> 00:14:05.389 He basically monetized the sea. That's a fair 00:14:05.389 --> 00:14:08.409 point. He stuck to the water. But then, look 00:14:08.409 --> 00:14:10.970 at Stefan Siegel. Right. The sources say he's 00:14:10.970 --> 00:14:14.009 in fashion technology. Exactly. Fashion technology. 00:14:14.269 --> 00:14:16.809 That feels like the complete opposite of a rigid 00:14:16.809 --> 00:14:19.769 military hierarchy. From naval drills to high 00:14:19.769 --> 00:14:22.409 fashion. It really does. Or consider Alberto 00:14:22.409 --> 00:14:24.850 Gallo, who is a major fund manager. These are 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:26.750 people operating at the highest levels of high 00:14:26.750 --> 00:14:28.590 finance and high fashion. And we can't forget 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:31.250 the actual royalty on the list. Prince of Medio. 00:14:31.570 --> 00:14:34.309 Duke of Aosta. True. A very prominent figure. 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:37.779 But the finance and fashion examples are honestly 00:14:37.779 --> 00:14:41.419 the most telling to me. It suggests that the 00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:45.039 soft skills of military training, which let's 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:47.899 be honest are actually quite hard skills, are 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:49.820 universal. You mean things like just showing 00:14:49.820 --> 00:14:52.870 up on time? Much deeper than that. I mean resilience. 00:14:53.210 --> 00:14:55.909 Think about it. If you have navigated a massive 00:14:55.909 --> 00:14:58.549 tall ship through a storm in the middle of the 00:14:58.549 --> 00:15:01.990 night at age 16 or dealt with a screaming officer 00:15:01.990 --> 00:15:04.629 during a room inspection at 7 a .m. because your 00:15:04.629 --> 00:15:06.590 bed wasn't made with mathematical precision. 00:15:06.809 --> 00:15:08.669 A bad day in the stock market probably doesn't 00:15:08.669 --> 00:15:11.730 phase you. Exactly. A supply chain issue in the 00:15:11.730 --> 00:15:13.590 fashion industry doesn't rattle you as much. 00:15:13.870 --> 00:15:16.289 It is stress inoculation. You are building a 00:15:16.289 --> 00:15:18.289 mental callous against pressure at a very young 00:15:18.289 --> 00:15:21.080 age. Precisely. They are learning decision -making 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.419 under intense pressure. They are learning that 00:15:23.419 --> 00:15:25.720 the functioning of the team is always more important 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:27.919 than the comfort of the individual. And that 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:30.299 translates to a corporate boardroom, just as 00:15:30.299 --> 00:15:32.799 well as a battlefield. It's a really interesting 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.299 counter -argument to the modern educational trend 00:15:35.299 --> 00:15:37.860 of hyper -specialization. How do you mean? Well, 00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:40.460 we tend to tell kids today, you know, code early 00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:44.519 or focus entirely on STEM or get that one specific 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.759 corporate internship before you're 18. Right. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:51.090 This school says no. Learn to row a boat in sync 00:15:51.090 --> 00:15:53.850 with 10 other people. Learn to make your bed 00:15:53.850 --> 00:15:57.250 perfectly. Learn to take orders. And if you do 00:15:57.250 --> 00:16:00.009 that, you will be ready for literally anything. 00:16:00.429 --> 00:16:02.830 It is the classical idea of character formation 00:16:02.830 --> 00:16:07.360 over pure skill acquisition. The specific technical 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.440 skills, like coding or corporate accounting, 00:16:09.500 --> 00:16:11.519 you can learn those later. But the character, 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:14.279 the grit that has to be forged. And Morissini 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:16.720 is a forge. It really puts the whole concept 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:18.980 of school spirit in a different light. It's not 00:16:18.980 --> 00:16:21.559 about football games and pep rallies in a gymnasium. 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:24.480 It's about surviving a really intense experience 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.320 together. And carrying that badge of honor for 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.559 the rest of your life. Being the Morissiniano 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:32.149 is a lifelong identity. It opens doors. Before 00:16:32.149 --> 00:16:34.009 we wrap up this deep dive, I just want to touch 00:16:34.009 --> 00:16:36.269 on the name one last time. We mentioned Morasini, 00:16:36.429 --> 00:16:38.129 the man earlier, but the sources point out that 00:16:38.129 --> 00:16:40.210 the name itself has become a sort of talisman 00:16:40.210 --> 00:16:43.129 for the Italian Navy. It has. It keeps reappearing 00:16:43.129 --> 00:16:45.070 throughout their naval history, almost like a 00:16:45.070 --> 00:16:47.649 lucky charm or a standard of excellence. Like 00:16:47.649 --> 00:16:50.370 what? Well, there was an ironclad warship in 00:16:50.370 --> 00:16:53.070 the 1880s part of the Ruggeria De Loria class 00:16:53.070 --> 00:16:56.120 that was named Francesco Morasini. Right. And 00:16:56.120 --> 00:16:58.620 then later, a massive battleship in the Francesco 00:16:58.620 --> 00:17:01.360 Carraccio class was also named Francesco Morisini. 00:17:01.580 --> 00:17:03.399 It's like they keep trying to reincarnate his 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:06.039 spirit in steel. It's about power projection. 00:17:06.259 --> 00:17:09.180 It's a reminder that Venice, and by extension, 00:17:09.339 --> 00:17:12.720 Italy, was once the absolute master of the Mediterranean. 00:17:13.380 --> 00:17:16.299 The school on Santolina is just the human version 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:18.099 of that battleship. That's a great way to put 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:20.769 it. It is projecting that same strength. but 00:17:20.769 --> 00:17:23.089 through shaping people rather than casting cannons. 00:17:23.670 --> 00:17:26.049 So here's the ultimate takeaway for you the listener. 00:17:26.450 --> 00:17:30.490 We have a 47 ,000 square meter island in Venice 00:17:30.490 --> 00:17:33.569 that is effectively a time capsule of discipline 00:17:33.569 --> 00:17:37.170 and it is producing billionaires, fashion executives, 00:17:37.369 --> 00:17:40.670 and admirals in equal measure. It's a stark reminder 00:17:40.670 --> 00:17:44.269 that environment dictates performance. You put 00:17:44.269 --> 00:17:47.430 kids in a suburban mall you get one result. You 00:17:47.430 --> 00:17:50.069 put them on a historic island with a strict naval 00:17:50.069 --> 00:17:52.230 code of conduct, you get something very, very 00:17:52.230 --> 00:17:54.210 different. It definitely makes me look back at 00:17:54.210 --> 00:17:55.930 my high school yearbook with a little bit of 00:17:55.930 --> 00:17:59.490 regret. No tall ships for me. Just a lot of cafeteria 00:17:59.490 --> 00:18:02.009 pizza and gym class dodgeball. Well, we can't 00:18:02.009 --> 00:18:04.750 all be Venetian admirals. Very true. But I want 00:18:04.750 --> 00:18:06.730 to leave the listener with a thought based on 00:18:06.730 --> 00:18:09.420 what we've discussed today. We live in a world 00:18:09.420 --> 00:18:12.160 that is becoming increasingly digital, increasingly 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:14.700 remote, and let's face it, increasingly soft 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:17.059 in terms of physical requirements for education. 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:19.660 Absolutely. We sit at desks, we look at screens. 00:18:20.019 --> 00:18:22.619 Does the diverse success of the Morrisini alumni 00:18:22.619 --> 00:18:25.200 suggest that we are missing something fundamental? 00:18:25.380 --> 00:18:27.940 That's the big question. Are we losing the art 00:18:27.940 --> 00:18:30.480 of building resilient leaders because we have 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:33.700 simply stopped asking young people to do hard 00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:36.289 physical things together? It really is the question 00:18:36.289 --> 00:18:40.670 of our age. Can you build true grit via a Zoom 00:18:40.670 --> 00:18:43.029 classroom? I think the Morissini method would 00:18:43.029 --> 00:18:45.769 say no. You build it on the water, in the wind, 00:18:46.130 --> 00:18:48.289 and in the relentless discipline of the everyday. 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:51.190 A fascinating look at a unique corner of the 00:18:51.190 --> 00:18:53.809 world. Thank you for helping us navigate the 00:18:53.809 --> 00:18:55.730 waters of the Morissini School today. It was 00:18:55.730 --> 00:18:57.930 my pleasure. And to our listeners, thanks for 00:18:57.930 --> 00:18:59.849 diving deep with us. We will see you on the next 00:18:59.849 --> 00:19:00.029 one.