Il commendatore - title given by Mussolini?

Commendatore is an official title, given by the Italian state to certain captains of industry, with a very nice medal. Enzo got his from Mussolini.

After the war, the Italian state cancelled all titles given by Mussolini, but allowed people who had one to revalidate the title with the new government, a simple process designed to filter out those who had received it for political reasons.

Enzo never went through that process, didn't give a s..t, and didn't like it when people called him by the Commendatore title, which he tecnically had no right to use anyway.

Cheers,

Julio

 

+1

 

According to the Brock Yates book, Enzo was awarded his "Commendatore" title in February 1928 by the Italian government, under the auspices of puppet King Victor Emmanuel III (quote).

 

Apparently Mario Andretti is also a Commendatore. He and Enzo are the only two racers to receive that title. Pretty neat, I think!

 

BTW, it looks like Enzo was given (re-given?) his title in June of 1970. Anybody who reads Italian (I can't) can verify it.

http://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/ricercaonorificenze.asp

 

If I'm not mistaken Mr Ferrari wanted to be called "Il Ingegnere" for the Ingeneer instead of "Il Commandatore".

 

When Mr Ferrari contested the 1924 Coppa Acerbo race at Pescara, part of the winner's prize was a middling-important title - arranged by the race's influential founder and backer, Baron Giacomo Acerbo. He was the then-new Fascist regime's Prime Minister (subsequently demoted to Minister of Agriculture and Forestry) and one of Mussolini's most ardent followers.

He founded the race in memory of his late brother Tito, a hero of the 1914-18 war (for you Americans that's the 1917-18 war) - and the title to be won was that of Cavaliere della Corona d'Italia - in effect a 'Knight of the Italian Crown'. Mr Ferrari won the race driving an Alfa Romeo RL and thus became Cav. Enzo Ferrari. The name board of his Modena company subsequently bore the name 'Cav. Ferrari' as the organisation's head. This title was later upgraded by the Fascist State to 'Commendatore', which was a superior order of Knighthood equivalent.

In 1947 all ranks of nobility and I believe most if not all of Fascist-awarded pre-war titles were abrogated by the new Italian Republic.

Thus in theory Mr Ferrari was no longer a Commendatore, but the press would never let it drop. Many star-struck Brits and Americans mistook Commendatore for 'Commander' - in similar style to a Naval rank - and Mr Ferrari certainly responded without demur to being addressed as either the Italian or Anglicised form.

But it is true that he preferred 'Ingegner' though such a title and address was only correct if directed at the holder of a university degree in engineering.

Many Italian engineers today seem very sensitive and highly-dismissive of several of the leading personalities in Ferrari history to whom we commonly refer as 'Ing.' this, and 'Ing.' that - and because some of these characters never actually had a university degree to back up such a form of address they rubbish them mercilessly. In Mr Ferrari's case I seem to recall he was later awarded an honorary degree, I think from Bologna University (1969ish perhaps?).

DCN

 

When I lived in Italy, a Dottore was a guy who wore a suit to work.

 

He received an honorary degree in mechanical engineering (aurea Honoris Causa in ingegneria meccanica) on July 7, 1960 from the university of Bologna. Therefore he was allowed to use the term "Ingegnere".

 

From that day.
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Cool history lesson and picture.

Thanks
Alberto

 

super cool!

 

Yes much more interesting than reading the reasons why it's ok to put Ferrari script on a Dino. I don't own a lot of Ferrari books and find the history fascinating.

 

My information is that Enzo didn't like to be called Commendatore at all; it was brought back by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who called him by that title in a teasing manner (in the fifties) and it stuck. The Prince told me the anecdote himself, in the presense of Rene Dreyfus, with whom he was swapping stories about Enzo and the cars. I think at the time Has Hugenholz Sr. was also present. This was drinking a fine Chablis at the Royal Palace at 11 AM

 

OK then. No more Il Commendatore.

I think that Dottore Ingegnere Enzo Ferrari, would be correct and proper? Next time I have Asti Spumanti or a good Chianti, I will give "The Old Man" a toast.

Ciao...Paolo

 

Correct. He didn't like it because he had no right to be called commendatore and he knew it. Italians take these (and all) titles very seriously, and don't like to be teased about them.

In Italy, in business I am "Dottore", my cousin is "Architetto", and my uncle, officially decorated by the Italian President for his business achievements, has the right to be called "Cavaliere", and he insists on it.

All this is important, especially in business.

Cheers,

Julio

 

Julio,

Thank you for the clarifications of the Italian titles.

Would Cavaliere, be a proper prefix, when addressing Enzo Ferrari, when he was alive and with us?

What about after his death? How should he be addressed?

I know this is of minor importance today, but it interests me, in it's accuracy, to honor the man.

Mille Grazie et Ciao...Paolo