History

18 June 1984

The seeds of our story were sown in Milan, at the Neurological Institute “Carlo Besta” and at the home of Luisa and Pierfranco Mariani. Through her activities as a volunteer and supporter of this Milanese hospital, then directed by neurologist and family friend Renato Boeri, Luisa was well aware of the difficulties, in their daily lives, faced by the parents of sick children: at that time, paediatric neurology had yet to become a discipline, and the idea of addressing the very specific needs of these children was highly novel.

The turning point came in 1984: following the death of her husband, Luisa, through a bequest, set up a Foundation in his name, with the purpose of providing these young patients with assistance, services and care.

Timeline

The Mariani Foundation was born of that forward-looking gesture: a legacy nurtured by all those, including the founder’s niece, Luisa Bonora, who have embraced and continued this work over the years.

18 June: foundation.

Establishment of the Scientific Committee. First child neurology research project supported by the Mariani Foundation.

First annual refresher course in child neurology.

First volume in the “Paediatric Neurology Series” (in Italian “Collana di Neurologia infantile”) edited by the Mariani Foundation and published by FrancoAngeli.

First volume in the “Mariani Foundation Paediatric Neurology Series”, published by John Libbey Eurotext.

First issue of “il neurofoglio”.

First call for research in child neurology.

Creation of the Mariani Foundation Centre for the Study of Paediatric Mitochondrial Disorders at the C. Besta Neurological Institute.

First international conference on “The Neurosciences and Music”.

Creation of the Mariani Foundation Centre for Inborn Metabolic Disorders in Children at San Gerardo Hospital, Monza.

Creation of the Child Movement Analysis Laboratory (“LAMB”) at the University of Milan.

Presentation of the Mariani Foundation at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco during the Congress of the European Academy of Childhood Disability.

First issue of “Neuromusic News”.

Convention ratifying the entry into the Foundation of the Neurological Institute “Carlo Besta”, Milan – Italy .

First call for care projects in the field of child neurology.

Launch of the “EBRAMUS- Europe Brain and Music” project in which the Foundation is a partner.

First Mariani Foundation call for child neurology research.

Opening of the Neuromusic Facebook page.

ISO 9001:2015 quality certification for the design and provision of training activities, including in the field of ECM, funding of research and healthcare projects and scientific publications in the field of childhood neurology.

Opening of the Mariani Foundation Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Creation of the Mariani Foundation Centre for Complex Diseases and the Mariani Foundation Centre for Movement Disorders in Children at the C. Besta Neurological Institute.

Launch of the international training project on childhood epilepsy “Epilessia FM-DREAM 2020-2024” in collaboration with the Sant’Egidio Community and C. Besta Foundation.

Research call for “The development of multicentre registry platforms in the field of childhood neurological diseases”.

Creation of the Mariani Foundation Centre for Medically Fragile Children at the Paediatrics Unit, Lariana Health Authority, “Sant’Anna” Hospital, San Fermo della Battaglia (Province of Como).

Creation of 5 Mariani Foundation Networks, to develop multicentre registry platforms. These networks deal with: rare neurological diseases of childhood; cerebral palsy; prematurity; newborns-infants (0-5 months) at high risk of cerebral palsy; visual function.

20th Anniversary of the Mariani Foundation Centre for Paediatric Mitochondrial Disorders.

Creation of the Mariani Foundation Centre for neuro-ophthalmolgical disorders (Not just eyes for growing up: from diagnosis to care in childhood visual impairment) at the Child Neuro-ophthalmology, Child Neuropyschiatry Unit, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia.

Launch of “Furibonda – Fondazione Mariani”, the new boat of “Vela Speciale”, the sailing project for youngsters with disabilities.

Renewal of the convention with the Neurological Institute “Carlo Besta”, Milan – Italy.

Convention with the University of Milan for the Child Movement Analysis Laboratory (“LAMB”).

Creation of the Mariani Foundation Centre for the Study of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the C. Besta Neurological Institute.

20th Anniversary of the Mariani Foundation Centre for Inborn Metabolic Disorders in Children.

18 June 2024: 40th Anniversary of the Mariani Foundation.