What does the “writing” on our cover mean? Above all, it is a symbolic tribute: one that Ugo La Pietra, a leading figure on the Italian art and design scene of the second half of the twentieth century, has chosen to dedicate to the history of our newspaper. At the same time, it is also a graphic sign that has characterized much of his artistic work. Ugo La Pietra (Bussi sul Tirino, Pescara, 1938) is a truly multifaceted figure. Trained as an architect, he is also an artist, filmmaker, editor, musician and cartoonist, as well as a long-standing educator. Throughout more than sixty years of La Pietra’s research, the concept of the sign has remained a constant presence, continually bringing art, architecture, design, urban space and systems of communication into dialogue. His work can currently be seen in Pescara at Fondazione La Rocca, where the exhibition Alla finestra (“At the Window”), curated by Giacinto Di Pietrantonio, is on view until 24 October. Indeed, moving across different languages and disciplines is one of the fundamental principles of Ugo La Pietra’s practice. Drawing, photography, writing, installation and design thus become tools for questioning the memory of how we inhabit spaces and the ways in which we interpret the world. Gianluigi Colin Courtesy of Archivio Ugo La Pietra