Go back to the books, follow the lessons, take the exams. For Fernando Armellini, this was the recipe for surviving the pain of his wife’s death: at the age of 80 he received his second degreethe one – masterful – in Philosophy, discussing the thesis «Man and technology», starting from the works of the German philosopher Günther Anders.
Born in Bolzano in 1942, law degree, Fernando Armellini was, throughout his working life, a business executive in the construction and large-scale distribution sectors. With his retirement he returned to live permanently in South Tyrol, but in 2015 the terrible mourning upset his life. “My wife died, with whom I shared 51 years of marriage», He told Republic. «An enormous pain, which still does not find consolation today. I saw myself at a crossroads: either depression or study, for which I have always had a great dedication “.
Thus, Armellini, who after losing his wife went to live at the Pilsenhof, the retirement home in Terlano, enrolled at the University of Trento. Going back to studying, however, was not immediately easy. «I went into the classroom and felt uneasy: the other students mistook me for the professor. Apart from the Covid period, I have always followed the lessons in person. I admit, it was tough: I spent 10-12 hours a day studying, I managed to finish on schedule“. And to get to know the new generations better: “The relationships between young people today are very different, I don’t see the feeling that once was: I felt so much loneliness, so much emptiness”.
His life was very intense, «for this reason I was facilitated compared to a young person in dealing with the great thinkers. The study of philosophy has allowed me to mirror myself, to see myself for what I am, even in my mistakes. Here: I come from a long professional experience in construction: philosophy has restructured me ».
Now he feels more serene: «The time I have dedicated to studying will support me in my last stretch of life». But Armellini has no intention of giving up as time passes: «As long as intelligence works, I will continue to study. I will strive to study Goethe’s language more thoroughly: my goal is to be able to read the works of the German philosophers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in their original language. I will appreciate them more ».
He graduated in Literature at the age of 96, with honors from his grandfather Giuseppe
Source: Vanity Fair
