Bologna, September 17 –
Today marks the start of the journey toward Virtus Bologna’s 100th anniversary. Exactly one year separates us from our centennial. A story that began in 1927, in the heart of Bologna, and has grown over generations, featuring champions, victories, defeats, revolutions, and moments that have become part of the “Black V” and its fans.
On September 17, 1927, at the Littoriale in Bologna, the European Track and Field Championships kicked off—marking the club’s first appearance outside of training sessions.
It’s a phrase that captures the essence of Virtus even before celebrating it: because love for Virtus transcends time—passing from one generation to the next—and becomes part of the lives of the people and the city.
“Tutta la vita” is also one of the songs associated with one of Bologna’s most authentic and universal symbols: for this reason, Virtus Bologna is announcing a partnership with the Lucio Dalla Foundation, with the goal of highlighting and celebrating the deep connection between the singer-songwriter, Bologna, and Virtus in what will be a coming together of two of the city’s cultural treasures.
The journey toward the Centennial will also feature a new symbol: the official “Virtus 100” logo. The new logo will be featured throughout the Centennial celebrations, becoming the hallmark of a once-in-a-lifetime season.
Throughout this entire year, the Centennial will not only be celebrated but also chronicled. Throughout the season, Virtus will retrace its history across five eras, ensuring that the legend becomes an even greater source of identity and pride for every fan. Accordingly, communications throughout the year will reflect the graphic style of the era in question. The first era (1927–1945) kicked off during the preseason.
The story of the five eras will be accompanied by a second major project: the 100 most important moments in Virtus’s history—that is, a hundred years told through a hundred moments. Each moment will be published on the exact day that event took place, following the timeline of Virtus’s history. From the first to the hundredth, the calendar will thus become a living archive of Virtus’s memory. This project is conceived not only as a countdown to September 17, 2027, but as a way to reach that date day by day, memory by memory.
But such an important year must be celebrated with activities, initiatives, gatherings, and surprises that will accompany the season—and which we’ll discover throughout the narrative through the faces and voices of the people who have shaped the history of the “Black V.” It will be they, together with the fans and the entire Virtus community, who will make the Centennial a story to be lived—not just remembered.
The Centennial will therefore be a journey into what Virtus has been, what it has become, and what it will continue to be. A story meant to ensure that the history of the “Black Vu” belongs to those who lived it, those who told it, those who supported it, those who passed it down, and those who will live it tomorrow—FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
