Italy

Vijay (Vittorio Gresele) passed away on 30 August at his home in Baraka.

Daniel of Tanto (Daniel Emdin) left us suddenly on 4 March 2025, due to cardiac arrest. He was 77 years old. Daniel came to stay in Auroville in 1977, after having visited a few years earlier.

Aurodeva is an artist and art therapist born and raised in Auroville whose work displays a rich blend of creativity, introspection, and connection to his roots.

Marco Feira passed away in his house in Sharnga community on 26 December at the age of 74. He had been suffering from cancer. Marco joined Auroville almost 30 years ago.

Francesco, once a professional snowboarder (or “rider” in snowboarding lingo) from a mountain village in Italy, shifted paths after a family crisis and a snowboarding accident.

Kratu, an Aurovilian artist, passed away on July 7th. Kratu was born on the 2nd May 1942 in Lonigo, Verona, Italy. In his early twenties, his passion for art led him to live in various countries and to hitch hike around the Mediterranean.

Franca Crocetti from Auromodѐle passed away in PIMS hospital on January 8th. Her son Padmanabhan was at her side. She was 86 years old and had been admitted with a respiratory disorder.

Giorgio Luciani from Surrender Community left his body in Italy in the early morning of December 22nd at the age of 65. He had been suffering from cancer.

Matriprasad passed away at the age of 65 in his apartment in Prayatna. His body was found around noon on 26 January; he had earlier informed his colleagues that he felt unwell and wouldn’t come to work for a few days.

Antonello comes from Northern Italy and moved to Auroville in 2014, where he now lives with his partner and children. He runs ‘Gastronomica’, an Italian take away gourmet store - sometimes affectionately referred to as the Italian Pavilion - that has gained popularity within and outside of Auroville, thanks to its handmade pasta, Italian takeaway dishes, and imported Italian culinary products.

On June 7th Laura Nina Mosci passed away in Italy after coping with cancer for several years. She was 62. Nina joined Auroville in 2001 and was involved in various activities for the community.

On May 4th, Luigi Zanzi passed away in his apartment in Citadines. He had been struggling with his health for quite some time, and would have been 70 this year.

On July 4thy, Davide Montemurri, a longtime participant and friend of Auroville, peacefully left his body in his house at Nettuno (Rome). He was 91 years old.

On Sunday May 16, Italian Aurovilian Renzo Pezzato left his body at the age of 67 at JIPMER hospital where he had been brought because of serious COVID symptoms.

Giorgio Molinari peacefully left his body on Monday August 10 at the age of 83 in his Arka apartment, succumbing to heart problems that had been plaguing him for years.

Paolo Tommasi passed away in JIPMER on July 16th due to the COVID-19 virus. He had just turned 92 years. Paolo was born in Ancona, Italy in 1928.

Between 20th January and 1st March, Paulette put on a photographic exhibition at the Town Hall on the theme of ‘Milano’s futuristic architecture: regeneration of the Porta Nuova district’.

Francesca Ivanov passed away on March 24 in a hospital near her native village, Edolo, in northern Italy. She was 48 years old. Francesca first arrived in Auroville in 2007, and started her Newcomer process in 2009.

On February 11, Devayani (Augusta) Martizi, Italian, left her body in Italy at the age of 72. Devayani came to Auroville from Findhorn in 2010 and became an Aurovilian resident in August 2011.

Marco joined Auroville 22 years ago. He reflects here on his many and varied activities, most of which are shaped by a love of the arts.

Marika Clerici-Bagozzi of Samasti community passed away on June 30th at her house in Samasti at the age of 79. She had been unwell for some time.