Fondazione Villa Emma

What Fondazione Villa Emma does

Fondazione Villa Emma is an Italian nonprofit foundation headquartered in Nonantola (Modena province), established to preserve and disseminate the memory of 73 Jewish children and young people from Germany, Austria, and Yugoslavia who were sheltered and rescued by the local community at Villa Emma during 1942-1943. The foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected cultural and educational assets: a forthcoming physical memorial museum ('Davanti a Villa Emma', scheduled for October 2026 inauguration), educational itineraries and materials for schools ('Villa Emma per la scuola'), editorial publications spanning historical research, narrative testimony, and audiovisual production, and an online archive of rescued books ('Libri in fuga') and video testimonies.

Its core technology is non-technological in the conventional sense — the foundation's products are research, narrative, exhibition design, and archival content, with the physical museum's scenography and experiential exhibition being designed by Studio Dotdotdot (Milano). The institution functions primarily as a memory and education platform, not a software or product company.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding structure rather than a revenue-generating model. Funding sources include public institutional grants from the Ministero della Cultura, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Fondazione di Modena, Comune di Nonantola, and BPER Banca; private donations through the Italian 5x1000 system and Otto per Mille della Chiesa Valdese; and earned income through programming and a forthcoming museum. Programs, events, and school materials are provided free of charge or under institutional funding. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: public commemorations, school partnerships, conferences, seminars, and digital outreach via Facebook, YouTube, and newsletter, serving two primary segments — schools/students and the general public/researchers — across the Emilia-Romagna region.

Name

Fondazione Villa Emma

Legal name

Fondazione Villa Emma

Website

https://fondazionevillaemma.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondazione Villa Emma is an Italian nonprofit foundation in Nonantola that preserves the memory of 73 Jewish children rescued during WWII, operating educational programs, editorial publications, archives, and a memorial museum opening in October 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Holocaust Memorial and Education

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Holocaust education programs
• Museum memorial exhibits
• Historical archive services
• Educational publishing
• Community commemoration events

Headquarters

HQ city

Nonantola, Mo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. 5x1000 Donations: Tax-deductible donations through the Italian 5x1000 system, enabling supporters to contribute to historical research, school programs, and cultural initiatives.
2. Public Institutional Funding: Funding from Ministry of Culture, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Fondazione di Modena, and Comune di Nonantola for museum construction and operational activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fondazione Villa Emma is an Italian nonprofit foundation that preserves the memory of 73 Jewish children and young people rescued in Nonantola during World War II. The foundation delivers Holocaust education programs for schools, operates historical archives and audiovisual testimonies, publishes scholarly and educational materials, organizes commemorative events, and is constructing a dedicated memorial museum in Nonantola.

Product overview

Fondazione Villa Emma is a cultural foundation dedicated to preserving the memory of 73 Jewish children and young people who were rescued in Nonantola during World War II. The foundation operates as a unified cultural institution offering multiple interconnected services: a memory site/museum (Davanti a Villa Emma), educational programs for schools, editorial publications (including 'Libri in fuga'), and archival materials including audiovisual testimonies. The foundation also organizes seminars, training courses, and public events throughout the year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Davanti a Villa Emma Memorial Museum
• Villa Emma per la scuola (Villa Emma for Schools)
• Pubblicazioni (Publications)
• Archivio Villa Emma (Audiovisual and Historical Archive)
• Commemorative Events and Community Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 73 Jewish children rescued during WWII

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondazione di ModenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Three-year partnership (2026-2028) for the operation of the 'Davanti a Villa Emma' memorial museum as an educational, cultural, and civic space. Fondazione di Modena provides financial support, coordination, and strategic direction.
• Comune di NonantolacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner in the memorial museum project; building owner and local government collaborator in educational programs and events.
• Studio Dotdotdot (Milano)coreTechnology or IntegrationMulti-disciplinary design studio responsible for the exhibition design of the memorial museum, creating an experiential space for visitors.
• Officine CulturaliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural organization collaborating on events and educational programs in Nonantola.
• Fondazione CDEC (Milano)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish contemporary documentation center collaborating on research and educational initiatives related to Holocaust history.
• Museo della Deportazione (Prato)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeportation museum collaborating on conferences and research about refugee and Holocaust history.
• Fondazione Ferramonti (Cosenza)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation dedicated to the Ferramonti concentration camp, collaborating on refugee and Holocaust research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wiener Holocaust Library: London-based Holocaust documentation center and archive with educational programming. Direct peer — comparable scale archive/research/education institution preserving Holocaust history.
• Museo della Deportazione (Prato): Italian deportation museum in Prato focused on Holocaust memory, deportation history, and refugee education. Direct peer — Villa Emma's existing partner for joint conferences and research on refugee/Holocaust history.
• Fondazione CDEC: Italian Jewish contemporary documentation center in Milan focused on Holocaust research, education, and memory. Direct peer — Fondazione Villa Emma lists CDEC as a core strategic partner for collaborative research and educational initiatives.
• Fondazione per la Memoria della Deportazione (Milan): Italian foundation focused on the memory of deportation and internment, including Holocaust deportation history. Direct peer — small Italian memorial foundation with overlapping educational and research missions.
• Fondazione Ferramonti: Italian foundation dedicated to the memory of the Ferramonti concentration camp (Cosenza, Calabria). Direct peer — partner of Villa Emma in Holocaust/refugee research and a comparable small Italian memorial foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Anne Frank House: Museum and foundation in Amsterdam preserving the memory of Anne Frank and educating on the Holocaust. Broad incumbent — comparable small-to-mid-size European Holocaust memorial with museum, archives, and educational programming.
• Mémorial de la Shoah: Major Holocaust memorial, museum, and documentation center in Paris. Broad incumbent — French counterpart to Italian Holocaust memorial foundations, with overlapping museum/education/archive functions.
• Yad Vashem: World's primary Holocaust documentation, research, and education center in Jerusalem. Broad incumbent — operates in the same Holocaust memorial/museum/education space as Fondazione Villa Emma but at global scale.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Leading global Holocaust memorial museum in Washington, D.C., with broad research, education, and exhibition programming. Broad incumbent — far larger scale but operates in the same Holocaust memorial/education category as Fondazione Villa Emma.
• Jewish Museum Berlin: Major Jewish history museum in Berlin covering 1,700 years of Jewish history including Holocaust exhibition. Broad incumbent — larger scale but operates Holocaust memorial/education/exhibition functions comparable to Villa Emma.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAmJx8FCpC_c-_7tuc54nHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fondazione-Villa-Emma-1598102157168891
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-villa-emma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fondazione Villa Emma