This year’s competition involved designing a new flavour for Ferrero Rocher bars and creating the corresponding packaging, testing the students’ skills in developing a coherent, attractive and professionally viable visual identity. A task that required creativity, precision, design skills and attention to market needs, supported by Ferrero SpA itself.

The final morning served as a moment to summarise and celebrate the work carried out throughout the week: following the welcome and official addresses, the projects were presented, the jury deliberated, and the final awards were announced.

All those present highlighted the great enthusiasm on display, alongside the professionalism demonstrated by the students, who approached the challenge with seriousness, team spirit and a desire to put themselves to the test.

In his address, Roberto Cotterchio, representing the Italian Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Private Industry – National Union of Small and Medium-sized Graphic, Publishing, Paper and Paper Products Industries (CONFAPI – UNIGEC) and host at Castello di Lucento, expressed his pride in hosting an event that highlights the value of vocational formation and young talent. He also highlighted a crucial aspect of the educational and personal journey: the importance of learning to pick oneself up when one makes a mistake, when one encounters a difficulty, or when results are not immediate. This too, he emphasised, is part of personal and professional growth.

Fr Claudio Belfiore, Vice-President of CNOS-FAP Piedmont, emphasised that the true “masterpieces”, in the spirit of Don Bosco, are first and foremost the young people themselves. The experience at Valdocco was not merely a technical exercise, but an opportunity for community life, independence, collaboration, work and responsibility.

During the Exhibition, the students were able to experience what it means to live together, engage with one another, organise themselves, support one another and contribute to a common goal.

Delivering the greetings from the Piedmont Region was the Councillor for Education, Formation and Participated Entities, Daniela Cameroni, who sad, “‘Capolavori’ (Masterpieces) tells a story far deeper than that of a simple exhibition: it tells the story of young people who choose to believe in their own talent and to put themselves out there together. Through this experience, young people from different regions and cultures learn to collaborate, share skills and build genuine relationships. This is the most authentic value of vocational formation: transforming skills and passion into concrete opportunities. The spirit of CNOS-FAP and Don Bosco’s educational legacy continue to demonstrate today just how essential it is to accompany every young person in discovering their own worth. As the Piedmont Region, we will continue to invest wholeheartedly in formation, merit and the link between schools and businesses, because this is where the future of our region lies.”

During the morning, Giuseppe Puonzo, speaking on behalf of the Salesians of Piedmont’s Social Communications department, emphasised the importance of the link with companies which choose to dedicate time, attention and trust to training programmes: a precious and increasingly rare commodity today. He highlighted that the involvement of the business world represents not merely external support, but a genuine educational partnership, capable of making the students’ journey more tangible and bringing vocational schools closer to the reality of the workplace.

Matteo Dittadi, National Secretary of the CNOS-FAP Graphic Arts Sector, highlighted the national scope of the Masterpieces Exhibition, emphasising how the interaction between students from different regions serves as a training ground for technical, interpersonal and professional skills. The constantly evolving graphic arts sector now requires young people capable of combining creativity, method, digital tools and an awareness of communication.

Marco Gallo, director of the Valdocco Vocational Formation Centre, highlighted the great commitment, but also the great pride, in being able to host such a significant national event at Don Bosco’s house.

The final awards ceremony concluded a week of work, discussion and sharing, confirming the role of CNOS-FAP as an organisation capable of supporting young people in building transferable skills and discovering their own worth.

Taking third place on the podium at the 2026 Masterpieces Exhibition – Graphic Design category were Valerio Uras from Milan and Alessandro Arnolfo from Turin. Second place was awarded to Francesco Sparacino from Rome and Angela Nasato from Mestre. First place was won by Jhon Ezekiel David from Bologna and Luca Barbieri from Bergamo.

Visibly moved, the winners commented on their achievement as follows: “A huge thank you goes to our teachers and our formation centres. We are very excited: this week has been incredible. We have learnt so much, and we are happy with our academic and professional journey.”