Conference open to everyone
and live online
29 November 2025 – 11:00 a.m.
Greetings from the Municipal President Roberto Russo
Speakers
Enlightened Wonder
The Theatre of the Sun
Screening of a video produced in collaboration with the Il Sole Foundation of Grosseto.
Sport, Health, and Healthy Lifestyles
When Listening Becomes Harmony: Music as a Path of Peace
Screening of the music video “Piccolo Mondo” and greetings from Mario Castelnuovo – Singer-songwriter
Enlightenment and Dharma: Pietro Leopoldo and the Abolition of Capital Punishment and Torture
The Little Heart of the World – A Song for Peace
Through powerful words, evocative images, and original music, this video is a poetic and civic tribute to the enlightened vision of Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany, who, with an act of justice and humanity, ushered in a new era of rights.
Music: Fabio Pianigiani
Lyrics: Mario Castelnuovo
Voice: Sangeeta Laura Biagi
Video: Giacomo Pianigiani
Production: The Institute of Indo-Vedic Studies - Centro Studi Bhaktivedanta
With the contribution of the Region of Tuscany and NaradaStudio
In tribute to Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany (1747–1792)
In-depth Course
with Marco Ferrini – Live Online
December 5, 11, and 18, 2025
8:30 p.m.
Three one-hour lessons, each followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
Where the In-Person Event Will Take Place
CSB Campus – Via Manzoni 9/a, Ponsacco (PISA)
Secretary’s mobile: +39 320 3264838
We are delighted to welcome you.
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How to Reach Us
How to Reach Us
By Car
By Train
Take a connecting train from Pisa or Florence to Pontedera–Casciana Terme station, then continue by bus or taxi to Ponsacco.
Tel. +39/050 917316 – Call Center 89.20.21
Trenitalia Website: www.trenitalia.com
By Air
Galileo Galilei Airport Tel. 050-849111 - Fax 050-849216
Take the SGC Fi-Pi-Li towards Florence and exit at Ponsacco.
E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- from Florence: Take the SGC Fi-Pi-Li towards Pisa and exit at Pontedera, then follow the signs to Ponsacco.
- from Rome and from Bologna: Take the A1 motorway to Florence, then exit at Firenze Scandicci. Take the SGC Fi-Pi-Li towards Pisa and exit at Pontedera.
- from Genoa: Take the A12 Genova–Rosignano motorway, exit at Pisa Centro, take the SGC Fi-Pi-Li towards Florence and exit at Ponsacco.
By Train
Take a connecting train from Pisa or Florence to Pontedera–Casciana Terme station, then continue by bus or taxi to Ponsacco.
Tel. +39/050 917316 – Call Center 89.20.21
Trenitalia Website: www.trenitalia.com
By Air
Galileo Galilei Airport Tel. 050-849111 - Fax 050-849216
Take the SGC Fi-Pi-Li towards Florence and exit at Ponsacco.
E-mail:
Marco Ferrini (Matsya Avatar das) is a philosopher, author, and spiritual guide, founder and president of the Institute of Indo-Vedic Studies – Centro Studi Bhaktivedanta (hereinafter, CSB), based in Italy. For fifty years, he has devoted himself to the study and dissemination of the philosophy, psychology, and spirituality of India, with particular focus on the Bhaktivedanta tradition, Yoga, and Ayurveda. Throughout his life’s work, he has built bridges between Eastern and Western cultures, integrating academic knowledge with the ethical and spiritual growth of individuals. Through research, teaching, and intercultural dialogue, he has promoted awareness of a shared humanity that transcends cultural and historical divisions. Born in Ponsacco (Pisa) in 1945, from an early age, he embarked on a deep spiritual quest, which culminated in 1976 with his encounter with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896–1977), of whom he became a disciple, receiving the spiritual name Matsya Avatāra dāsa. On December 9, 2012, Dev Sanskriti University of Haridwar awarded him the Gold Medal and the title of Doctor Honoris Causa (Ph.D.) in Philosophy, conferred by the university’s Chancellor and the President of the Republic of India. His work inspires all who wish to evolve spiritually and embrace life with a deeper understanding born of direct experience.
Marco Ferrini
Founder and President of the Centro Studi Bhaktivedanta
and Director of the Academy of Traditional Indian Sciences
Marco Ferrini (Matsya Avatar Das) is a philosopher, author, and spiritual guide, founder and president of the Institute of Indo-Vedic Studies – Centro Studi Bhaktivedanta (hereinafter, CSB), based in Italy. For fifty years, he has devoted himself to the study and dissemination of the philosophy, psychology, and spirituality of India, with particular focus on the Bhaktivedanta tradition, Yoga, and Ayurveda. Throughout his life’s work, he has built bridges between Eastern and Western cultures, integrating academic knowledge with the ethical and spiritual growth of individuals. Through research, teaching, and intercultural dialogue, he has promoted awareness of a shared humanity that transcends cultural and historical divisions.
He has delivered over 3,000 lectures and seminars in Italy and abroad, at universities, cultural and socio-religious institutions, schools, professional associations, public bodies, hospitals, and major institutional venues, including the Chamber of Deputies during the official conference “Prevention and Food Education” held on June 24, 2016, in the Parliamentary Groups Room and the Protomoteca at the Capitoline Hill in Rome during the international event Life and Its Origin (2004).
Born in Ponsacco (Pisa) in 1945, he initially trained in art and design in Florence, pursuing an international professional career. From an early age, he embarked on a deep spiritual quest, which culminated in 1976 with his encounter with the Vaishnava Master A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896–1977), of whom he became a disciple, receiving the spiritual name Matsya Avatar Das.
In 1995, he founded the CSB, an academic and cultural non-profit organization dedicated to social promotion, which is registered in the Third Sector register, where he continues to serve as Dean On August 8, 2022, the Italian Ministry of Education (MIM) officially recognized the CSB's courses under Directive 170/2016 as an accredited institution for the professional development and training of Italian school personnel.
The CSB is dedicated to the study and dissemination of Indo-Vedic scriptures and philosophy (Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, Itihāsas, Yoga Darśana, and Ayurveda), integrating Eastern traditions with Western knowledge from an interdisciplinary perspective.
From 1996 to 2001, Marco Ferrini taught courses at the Chair of Philosophy of Religions at the University of Siena. The Siena Education Authority officially recognized these courses as valid for the professional development of teachers at all levels. He has also delivered academic lectures at the Universities of Milan, Pisa, and La Sapienza in Rome, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Haridwar and Puri (India), focusing, among other topics, on comparative studies between the Bhagavad-Gītā and the Gospel, and between the Bhagavad-Gītā and the Divine Comedy, with particular attention to ethics, spirituality, and the search for the ultimate meaning of existence.
In 2023, at the request of the University of Pisa, he delivered a series of five lectures entitled “Non-violent communication for harmonizing relationships and addressing major ongoing changes. Meditative and Visualization Practices for the University”, which contributed to the application of the ethical and inner dimension of knowledge to relational and social challenges in contemporary society.
He has promoted and conducted over thirty Continuing Medical Education (CME) training events for hospital staff, doctors, and psychologists on the Psychology of Caring for Terminally Ill Patients and Their Families, recognized by the Italian Ministry of Health and under the patronage of the Lombardy Professional Board of Psychologists.
In 1997, the University of Milan invited him to deliver a public lecture on the occasion of India's 50th Anniversary of Independence and the birth of the Indian Republic, celebrating the universal values of freedom, dignity, and cultural progress that characterize the Indo-Vedic heritage of the world’s largest democracy.
On December 9, 2012, Dev Sanskriti University of Haridwar awarded him the Gold Medal and the title of Doctor Honoris Causa (Ph.D.) in Philosophy, conferred by the university’s Chancellor and the President of the Republic of India. The official citation reads:
"Marco Ferrini was awarded the title of Doctor in Philosophy in recognition of his contribution to disseminating Vedic knowledge throughout the world, entirely dedicated and without other purposes to the authentic spirit of Vedas for the well-being and welfare of humanity."
Through the CSB and numerous personal initiatives, he has fostered social cohesion, civic responsibility, and the promotion of peace. His work has helped build communities founded on dialogue, inclusion, and the common good, always with clarity, humility, and personal integrity.
Today, his research focuses on the promotion of socio-spiritual models inspired by the ancient Indo-Vedic tradition, particularly the principles of Varṇa-Āśrama-Dharma, interpreted as one of the oldest and most complex organizational archetypes of human thought.
Far from proposing rigid classifications, this model is presented as a tool for reflection and growth, useful in addressing the ethical, cultural, and existential challenges of contemporary society, placing at its center the elevation of consciousness and the full realization of the individual, both materially and spiritually.
In this perspective, Marco Ferrini fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars, educators, and social leaders, in Italy and abroad, with the aim of building fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable societies capable of offering new opportunities to future generations.
