Named after Milan’s patron saint, Sant’Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose), the prize annually recognises individuals and associations for their positive contributions to society.
In particular, 39 winners were named this year and officially presented with the award on December 7.
Ferragni, 33, and Fedez, 31, were awarded for the charitable work they promoted throughout the year, starting with their personal donation of €100,000 that helped kickstart a crowdfunding initiative aimed at creating new hospital beds in the intensive care unit of the city’s San Raffaele hospital.
“In this really difficult phase for our country we can also do something to support our communities,” the Go Fund Me page reads.
“Doctors and scientists are doing a very important job and we would like to help support them.”
One of the first charity projects to be launched in Italy during its nationwide lockdown in March, the fundraiser had immediate and significant social resonance not only for the direct involvement of the couple but also for the traction they had in inviting their followers to do their part and donate through a link, starting from €5 contributions.
Their appeal resulted in their followers — more than 33 million combined — helping to raise almost €4.5 million for the cause.
Beside the fundraising initiative, the couple’s popularity grew this year as they set a good example during the nationwide lockdown, repeatedly urging people to be cautious and take all the required measures to help contain the spread of the virus.
The couple were early to follow government advice on self-isolation.
Based in the epicentre of the country’s first wave of infections, they began staying at home before the government-mandated lockdown on March 9.
And they used their reach to encourage others to do the same in Italy and around the world in an effort to slow the spread of infections.
Over the summer, the couple — who go by the moniker “The Ferragnez” — also promoted tourism in Italy, choosing a range of local destinations for their holidays and posting their visits to museums in Florence and Rome or tours of Venice, among others.
For this reason, Ferragni was presented with the Leone d’Oro award in Venice in September for “the civic engagement she showed for Italy in this emergency period”.
As the second wave of infections hit Italy this autumn and the government imposed new restrictions, the couple’s positive influence was acknowledged also by institutions.
As revealed in Fedez’s stories on Instagram, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on the couple for help in inviting younger generations to respect the rules and wear face masks.
“We are in a difficult situation and wearing a mask can avoid the worst-case scenario, a lockdown,” Ferragni told her 22.2 million Instagram followers, holding a face mask in her hand.
Meanwhile, institutions’ lack of financial support of operators in the music and entertainment industry led Fedez to launch a new initiative on November 13.
He united leading names on the Italian music scene and collected their personal donations to establish a fundraising campaign in aid of those within the industry and their families.
Thanks to the additional involvement and support of brands he collaborates with — including Fendi and Amazon — the initiative has raised more than €2 million so far.
The singer’s latest project came just this week, when he raised €5000 on the social media platform Twitch and drove through the streets of Milan to give €1000 each to five worthy recipients.
His fans helped raise the funds and also voted on who the money should be given to.
They chose the following five categories to donate to: a rider, a homeless person, a street artist, a waiter or restaurateur and a Red Cross volunteer, or a volunteer in general.
