Prevention is a team effort: Marlù and FSGC together for women’s well-being, on and off the pitch

On the afternoon of Wednesday 23 April, at La Fabbri.ca, home of the jewellery brand Marlù, the first in a series of events dedicated to physical and mental well-being was held. This initial meeting, aimed at players registered with the football club San Marino Academy, focused specifically on the prevention and care of the female body. The initiative stems from the collaboration between Marlù, the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio (FSGC) and San Marino Academy, and fits into the broad framework of projects developed in synergy with UEFA in support of women’s football.

The central theme of this first event, made possible thanks to the partnership between Marlù and the State Hospital of the Republic of San Marino, was breast cancer prevention, addressed through a multidisciplinary approach combining medicine and art, and offering participants an educational and engaging experience.

The session was led by Dr Stefania Larghetti, breast radiologist at the State Hospital of San Marino, and by Prof Meris Monti, art history lecturer and curator of the exhibition “From Art to Prevention”, set up for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. The two speakers highlighted the importance of prevention through mammography screening, self-examination and listening to one’s own body, adding an original and thought-provoking perspective on how breast disease is represented in art. The exhibition, specially brought to Marlù’s headquarters and set up in the main hall, explores how some of the great masters – Raphael, Michelangelo, Rubens and Rembrandt – depicted in their paintings signs that can be linked to breast pathologies, giving dignity and truth to the female body, including in its imperfections.

“I was delighted to take part in this event, which allowed me to address such an important topic with such a young audience,” commented Dr Stefania Larghetti. “In the fight against cancer, and breast cancer in particular, I believe it is essential to spread the idea that a healthy lifestyle and proper attention to our bodies are the most effective tools for preserving our physical and mental health and well-being. This wonderful exhibition has also given us the opportunity to use art and beauty as a means to convey, including to the younger generations, a vital message: we must learn to know our own bodies so that we notice changes, and we must not be afraid to undergo examinations that can save our lives.”

The initiative, which involved 22 players from the San Marino Academy women’s first team and 22 from the Primavera squad – aged between 17 and 33 – accompanied by club officials, left a powerful and genuine impression. It became not only an opportunity to raise awareness, but also a moment for informal dialogue and exchange between the players and the professionals present.

“For us at Marlù, taking care of women means accompanying them on a shared journey of awareness, care and prevention.” explains Marta Fabbri, Co-Founder and Marketing & Communication Director. “This meeting with the San Marino Academy players is only the first step on a path that speaks of prevention, but also of freedom and self-love. Every young woman must learn to know her own body and to listen to it, understanding every signal. And we want to be there, at their side, in every action that makes a difference.”

Luigi Zafferani, General Secretary of the FSGC also added: “We would like to thank Marlù for making this event possible and for addressing a topic that is as sensitive as it is important. Today’s meeting has been a major opportunity for growth and our shared hope is that this opportunity will become the seed of an ever-stronger awareness of the care of the female body.”