Rome 2026

The Pericles International Academy was founded, (Constitutive Act and Statute), at the Dr. Stefania Agostino Notary in Rome, as continuity of the Alkmeon International Academy, which was initiated in the early ‘80s at Catanzaro University. This was done in order to amplify its objectives, initially mainly restricted to the Science world. The Alkmeon International Academy was named in this way to tribute honour to the Magna Graecia genius Alkmeon, who lived in Kroton (Calabria) during the VI-V Century B.C. and he is considered all over the world the Father of Anatomy, Experimental Medicine and Neuroscience.
The Alkmeon International Prize, an artistic composition of the jewelry artist Gerardo Sacco from Kroton, was conferred the first time in 1984 to the Nobel laureate Renato Dulbecco, born in Catanzaro, who lived in London first and then in San Diego, California later. Dulbecco is still now considered the “Father of human genome decodification”. In the following years the same Prize was given to other Nobel laureates, i.e. in 1986 to Sir John Vane, the scientist who discovered the aspirin’s mechanism of action, in 1994 to Sir John Eccles, the man who discovered the synapses in the brain and peripheral nervous system, in 2001 to Arvid Carlsson, the scientist who elucidated the role of dopamine in Parkinson’s disease, in 2003 to Rita Levi Montalcini, who discovered the progenitor of the growth factors, the so called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). In addition, the Alkmeon International Prize was conferred to other very famous scientists like Sir Salvador Moncada, the man who discovered prostacyclin and nitric oxide, to Leslie Iversen, the man who discovered the catecholamines and other neurotransmitters reuptake mechanism, to Graham Collingridge, who discovered with Tim Bliss in the hippocampus the long-term potentiation (LTP), which represents the neurophysiological equivalent of memory.
In 2012, at Torre di Ruggiero, the norman city in Calabria, the Mayor and the President of the Academy decided to found the Pericles International Academy as continuity of the Alkmeon one. As the previous one, the Pericles International Academy was a non-profit cultural Association with more ample ambits and the Pericles International Prize, each year is conferred after a rigorous selection of candidates to personalities of international prestige in different fields (political, industrial and culture) and in addition to outstanding scientists. The Pericles International Prize represents another artistic composition of Maestro Gerardo Sacco. The name Pericles was given to render honor to Pericles (495-429 B.C.), a political leader in the period of the highest splendor of greek civilization, a man of great courage, excellent cultural level and considered also now as the “father of modern democracy”. The location of the Pericles International Academy is now in viale Giulio Cesare, 62 - 00192 .
The fundamental aim of the Academy is the promotion of Science and Culture in the society through a series of conferences and meetings organized by very famous scientists including those who receive the Pericles International Prize, who discuss on their discoveries and on the fundamental role that they played for the scientific, political and social progress in the world.
In the past years the Pericles International Prize was given to Ornella Barra (2012), Vice-President of Walgreens Boots Alliance, to Prof. Annibale Marini (2013), Emeritus President of Constitutional Court, to Prof. Francesco Profumo (2013), Minister of Education, University and Research, to the Nobel laureate Aaron Ciechanover (2014), to the Sinobioway Chairman Aihua Pan, Beijing (2015) and to Alberto Chiesi (2015), President of Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, Parma. More recently, in 2016 the Pericles International Prize was conferred to Tim Bliss, who received the equivalent of Nobel prize for Neuroscience and to Roberto Crea, considered the “father of biotechnologies” since he was the first scientist who produced human insulin and other drugs by inserting human genes in Escherichia coli DNA. In 2017, the Pericles International Prize was conferred to Gianni Letta, former Undersecretary of the Minister Council, a man of extraordinary political and cultural level.
The following year (2018) the Prize was given to the Nobel laureate Thomas Südhof from Stanford University and to Dr. Paolo Chiesi, Vice-President and Scientific Director of Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, the man who registered and obtained the marketing authorization from EMA (European Medicines Agency) for the first product in the world (Holoclar) of corneal stem-cells to repair corneal lesions due to burning or other traumatic insults.
The Pericles International Prize has maintained a standard of excellence during the years and in 2019 it was be conferred to Marco Bussetti, Minister of Education, University and Research “For his extraordinary role in the promotion of scientific research in Italy” and to Prof. Paolo Preziosi, Emeritus at the Catholic University in Rome for the creation of one of the most prestigious School of Pharmacology in Italy.
The list of other personalities to whom was conferred the Pericles International Prize is reported later.
In the following pages the complete list of personalities awarded with the Pericles Prize is reported.

President of the Academy
prof. giuseppe nisticò

CURRICULUM VITAE
Born in Cardinale (CZ).
Degree in Medicine University of Naples (1965) with 110/110 with honours.
Specialization in Neuropsychiatry (1968) 70/70 with honours.
Professor of Pharmacology from 1970 to 2011 at the following Universities: Naples, London, Messina, Catanzaro , Roma Tor Vergata.
At Catanzaro University he was the Dean of the new Faculty of Pharmacy (1990-1994) and Pro-Rector at Catanzaro University (1984-1986).
From 2010 to 2011 he was the Commissioner of EBRI Foundation “Rita Levi-Montalcini” and from 2011 to 2019 he was General Director of Rita Levi-Montalcini Institute.
From 2020 to 2022 he was the Founder and Commissioner of Renato Dulbecco Foundation, Lamezia, and from July 2022 till now he is Commissioner of the Innovative Biotechnologies in Therapy- Renato Dulbecco Center (BIT-RD).
More than 20 of his pupils are full of Associate professors in several italian Universities.
He was awarded of many International Prizes (Honorary degree at University of Cordoba, Argentina; Award in Neurosciences at New Orleans, Louisiana University, Gran Croce Knight of the Italian President of the Republic (2018).
He was elected Senator in Rome (1994), then he was appointed Undersecretary of Health Ministry (1994-1995).
From 1995 to 1998 he was elected President of Calabria Region and from 1999 to 2004 Member of the European Parliament.
Author of more than 350 international scientific publications and author or editor of 40 volumes prevalently of Neuroscience and Pharmacology published by prestigious international Companies.
Mobile: +393663532608
E-mail: [email protected]

Pericles International Academy

PRESIDENT
Giuseppe Nisticò, RomeBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Giuseppe Nisticò (President), Rome
Mauro Massa (Vice-President), Rome
Giancarlo De Matthaeis (Vice-President), Rome
Ulisse Corea, Rome
Steven Nisticò, RomeHONORARY COMMITTEE
Gianni Letta, (President)
Eugenio Gaudio,già Rettore University' Sapienza Roma (Presidente)
Giuseppe Albenzio, Vice-General Advocate of State, Rome
Rocco Bellantone, President of National Health Institute, Rome
Roberto Bernabei, Geriatrics Director, Catholic University, Rome
Renato Brunetta, CNEL President, Rome
Corrado Calabrò, State Counsellor, Rome
Raffaele Calabrò, Rector of Biomedical University Campus, Rome
Elia Colabraro, Economist, Former IMI-General Director, Rome
Giacomo Chiesi,Head of Global Rare Diseases,Chiesi Group,Boston
Giuseppe Chinè, State Counsellor, Rome
Francesco Cognetti, Oncology Director, Regina Elena, Rome
Claudio Colasazza, Maestro Piano Jazz Saint Louis, Rome
Roberto Crea, CEO Protelica Inc. San Francisco, USA
Rocco Crimi, Former Undersecretary Presidenza Consiglio Ministri
Raffaella Docimo, Full Professor of Odontostomatology Tor Vergata University, Rome
Sergio Dompè, President of Dompè Farmaceutici Milan, Milan
Sebastiano Filetti, Full Professor of Internal Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome
Alessandro Finazzi Agrò, Former Rector of Tor Vergata University, Rome
Michele Gallucci, Full Professor of Urology, Sapienza University, Rome
Antonio Gambino, Economist, Rome
Enrico Garaci, Former President of National Research Council (CNR), National Health Institute and Founder of Tor Vergata University, Rome
Marilena Giungato, Cassation Lawyer, Rome
Giovanbattista Grassi, Full Professor of Surgery, Casilino Polyclinic, Rome
Massimo Inguscio, Former President of National Research Council (CNR), Rome
Alfonso Iozzo, Former President of San Paolo Foundation, Turin
Annibale Marini, Emeritus President of the Constitutional Court, Rome
Pietro Masi, Full Professor of Commercial Law, Tor Vergata Univerity, Rome
Stefano Mastruzzi, General Director of Saint Louis Jazz College, Rome
Nicola Mercuri, Full Professor of Neurology, Tor Vergata University, Rome
Cesare Mirabelli, Emeritus President of the Constitutional Court, Rome
Maurizio Misasi, President of the Riccardo Misasi Foundation, Rome
Gianfranco Mollace, Cassation Magistrate, Rome
Vincenzo Mollace, Full Professor of Pharmacology, UMG, Catanzaro
Andrea Monorchio, Former State General Accountant, Rome
Giuseppe Nappi, Emeritus Professor, Pavia University, Pavia
Cecilia Nisticò, Oncology Director, ASL Frosinone, Rome
Paola Nisticò, Molecular Biology Director, Regina Elena Institute, Rome
Robert Nisticò, Full Professor of Pharmacology, Tor Vergata University, Rome
Steven Nisticò, Full Professor of Dermatology, Sapienza University, Rome
Giuseppe Novelli, Full Professor of Genetics, Tor Vergata University, Rome
Luigi Paganetto, President of the Economy Foundation, Tor Vergata University, Rome
Antonella Polimeni, Rector of Sapienza University, Rome
Beniamino Quintieri, Full Professor of Economy, Tor Vergata University, Rome
Giorgio Racagni, Former President of the Italian Pharmacological Society, Rome
Gerardo Sacco, Jewelry Master, Kroton
Rosario Sacco, Full Professor of Surgery, UMG, Catanzaro
Franco Salvatore, Founder of CEINGE Institute Naples, Naples
Giovanni Simonetti, General Director of Image Diagnostics and Radiotherapy, Casilino Polyclinic, Rome
Giovanni Scambia, Full Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Catholic University, Rome
Orazio Schillaci, Former Rector of Tor Vergata University, Rome
Santo Strati, Director of Calabria.Live, Rome
Giovanni Tria, Former Minister of Economics and Finances, Rome
Massimo Volpe, Full Professor of Cardiology, Sapienza University, Rome
Stefano Vella, Full Professor of Virology, National Health Institute, Rome
Maurizio Volterrani, Full Professor of Cardiology, S. Raffaele University, Rome

The Pericles International Prize

The Pericles International Prize (2019) is an artistic composition by Maestro Gerardo Sacco, following the suggestion of prof. Giuseppe Nisticò. Besides Pericles image, the Prize represents the Sun reflecting his rays on the Ionian sea (Kroton) and connecting Orient and Occident.

The Alkmeon International Prize

The Alkmeon International Prize is an artistic composition by Maestro Gerardo Sacco, following the suggestion of prof. Giuseppe Nisticò. Besides the images of Pythagoras and Alkmeon, the table represents the principles of life (archè) according to the Pre-Socratic School: air, water, earth and fire.

List of Personalities awarded
with the Alkmeon or the Pericles International Prize

ALKMEON
1984 Prof. Renato Dulbecco, Nobel Laureate
1986 Sir John Vane, Nobel Laureate, London
1994 Prof. Sir John Eccles, Nobel Laureate
2001 Prof. Salvador Moncada, University College London, London, UK
2001 Prof. Arvid Carlsson, Nobel Laureate, Goteborg
2002 Prof. Hans-Gert Pottering, Former President of European Parliament
2002 Prof. Philippe Busquin, Former EU Commissioner for Scientific Research
2003 Prof. Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Laureate, Rome
2004 Prof. Erminio Costa, University of Chicago, USA
2004 Prof. Graham Collingridge, University of Bristol, UK
2005 Prof. Silvio Garattini, Mario Negri Institute, Milan
2010 Prof. Gustav Born, William Harvey Institute, London, UK
2011 Prof. Solomon Snyder, Jonh Hopkyns Medical School, Baltimore, USA
2011 Prof. Nicolas G. Bazan, Neuroscience Center, New Orleans, USA
2012 Prof. Leslie Iversen, Emeritus Professor University of Oxford, UK
2012 Ing. Stefano Pessina, Executive Chairman Walgreens Boots Alliance London, UKPERICLES
2012 Dr. Ornella Barra, Vice-President Walgreens Boots Alliance, London, UK
2013 Prof. Annibale Marini, Emeritus President of the Constitutional Court, Rome
2013 Prof. Francesco Profumo, Former Minister of MIUR, Rome
2013 Prof. Luigi Nicolais, President of CNR, National Research Council, Rome
2014 Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate, Israel
2014 Prof. Napoleone Farrara, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, USA
2014 Prof. Franco Salvatore, Founder of CEINGE, Naples
2014 Prof. Michele Gallucci, Regina Elena Hospital, Rome
2015 Prof. Aihua Pan, Chairman Sinobioway, Beijing, China
2015 Dr. Alberto Chiesi, President Chiesi, Parma
2016 Prof. Tim Bliss, University College London, London, UK
2016 Prof. Roberto Crea, Protelica Inc. CEO, San Francisco, USA
2016 Prof. Ezio Giacobini, Medical School, Genève, CH
2017 Dr. Gianni Letta, Former Undersecretary of Italian Government, Rome
2018 Prof. Thomas Südhof, Nobel Laureate, Stanford University, USA
2018 Dr. Paolo Chiesi, Vice-President Chiesi, Parma
2019 Hon. Marco Bussetti, Minister Education, University and Research, Rome
2019 Prof. Lo Yuk Lam, Director Biotecnologies Institute, Hong Kong University, China
2019 Prof. Paolo Preziosi, Emeritus, Catholic University, Rome
2020 Dott. Sergio Dompé, President of Dompé Farmaceutici, Milan
2020 Prof. Giovanni Battista Grassi, Surgery Director, Casilino Polyclinic, Rome
2020 Prof. Giovanni Simonetti, Quisisana Clinic Director, Rome
2021 Hon. Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, Senate President, Rome
2021 Prof. Giuseppe Ippolito, Scientific Director Spallanzani, Rome
2021 Prof. Walter Ricciardi, Full Professor of Hygiene, Catholic University, Rome and Italian Representative in the Executive Board of World Health Organisation (WHO)
2022 Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, Belgium
2022 In memory of Riccardo Misasi, Rome
2022 In memory of Francesco della Valle, Rome
2023 Dr. Elia Colabraro, Economist, Rome
2023 Prof. Luigi Paganetto, President of Economy Foundation, Tor Vergata University, Rome
2023 Prof. Giovanni Tria, Former Minister of Economics and Finances, Rome
2024 Tribute to President Silvio Berlusconi
2025 Claudio Cavazza (in memory)
2025 Prof. Pierfrancesco Tassone
2025 Prof. Gianluigi Gessa
2026 Prof. Astrid Soderbergh and Prof. Franco Locatelli
________________________________________________________Devo confessare che fra tutte le Associazioni che ho frequentato, gli eventi scientifici e culturali della Pericles International Academy, hanno suscitato in me un grande interesse e ammirazione. La scelta delle personalità cui è stato conferito il Pericles International Prize è stata sempre fatta sulla base dell'eccellenza dei contributi alla società da parte dei premiati (Premi Nobel, Scienziati di fama internazionale, Politici di elevato prestigio, Accademici che hanno dedicato la loro vita alla didattica, alla ricerca e a salvare la vita di moltissimi pazienti) , tanto che ho descritto fin dall'inizio questo premio come il Nobel italiano.Santo Strati, Direttore Calabria Live---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RENATO DULBECCO GOLD MEDALS
(given by the Biotechnologies Innovative in Therapy - Renato Dulbecco Foundation, Roma)2021 Roberto Crea, San Francisco CA-USA
2022 Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Tel Aviv
2022 Eugenio Gaudio, President Rome Foundation, Sapienza University
2022 Luigi Paganetto, President Economy Foundation, University of Rome Tor Vergata
2023 Orazio Schillaci, Health Minister
2025 Silvio Garattini, President Mario Negri Institute, Milan