Starting from the previous academic year, in agreement with Montani alumni Elvezio Serena and Feliciano Esposto (an expert in optical fibres), and in collaboration with the faculty, Vice Principal Prof. Daniele Trasatti, and Principal Prof. Stefania Scatasta, it was decided to launch a series of theoretical and hands-on events, both in the classroom and at industrial facilities.
These initiatives aim to introduce students from the Telecommunications and Electronics programs to the fundamental principles of optical fibres and fibre optic cables used in telecommunications networks.
As part of this program, and following last year’s classroom lesson, students and teachers from the third, fourth, and fifth years of the Telecommunications program, along with fifth-year students of the Electronics program at the prestigious “G. e M. Montani” Technical Technological Institute of Fermo, had the valuable opportunity to visit Tratos Cavi S.p.A. in Pieve Santo Stefano (AR). Thanks to the generous support and warm hospitality of Engineer Albano Bragagni, President of the company, the group explored the facilities of this leading Tuscan manufacturer, renowned for its production of optical cables, power cables, and superconductors.
“It was an outstanding experience, an extraordinary opportunity to witness up close the various stages involved in the production of fibre optic and high-voltage cables within a company at the cutting edge of technological innovation.”
In summary, this was the feedback shared by the 46 participating students and their accompanying teachers, Lucita Montenovo, Daniele Postacchini, Tania Sagripanti, Giacomo Sanseverinati, and Elvezio Serena, following the visit made possible by Dr. Feliciano Esposto, physicist and former Montani student. In 2024, Dr. Esposto delivered the lecture-conference “Fibre Optics and Cables for Telecommunications Networks” as part of the “Science & Technology at Montani” series.
In the days leading up to the visit, driven by his deep connection to the distinguished Institute, Dr. Esposto returned to the classroom to review with students both the theory and practical applications of optical fibres. He guided them through hands-on exercises involving key components of optical networks such as fibres, cables, terminations, and connectors, including fibre stripping and cutting, essential preparatory steps for splicing these ultra-thin strands of glass that now connect our homes and cities. All in pursuit of ever-broader bandwidth and ever-greater connection reliability.
Engineer Bragagni himself, assisted by Human Resources Manager Mr. Nicola Gregori Baccinelli and other colleagues, personally guided the visitors through both company sites in Pieve Santo Stefano. The tour included the Tratos HV facility, primarily dedicated to power cables and home to an impressively large Faraday cage, as well as the main plant of Tratos Cavi, which focuses specifically on optical fibre production.
As a result of this initiative, Dr. Carlo Labbrozzi, President of the Montani Alumni Association, was able to uncover archival records revealing that the founder of Tratos, Egidio Capaccini, graduated from Montani in 1937 as a Chief Industrial Technician in Mechanics before going on to earn a degree in engineering.
Engineer Capaccini began his professional journey in 1966 with a copper wire drawing company, which later became a manufacturer of general-use telephone cables employing basic technologies.
With the arrival of Engineer Bragagni, Tratos Cavi began its transformation into a dynamic multinational company capable of adapting to market demands and supplying a wide range of cable types, from fibre optic cables to high-voltage cables, cables for petrochemical applications, and superconductors.
Flexibility, dynamism, consistency, and reliability are the qualities that Tratos has demonstrated over the years, establishing itself as one of the leading producers of electrical and fibre optic cables in both Italy and the global market. Today, the company supplies its products to 52 countries worldwide.
Tratos boasts highly qualified and well-equipped laboratories, where a team of technicians works in alignment with design specifications and under strict quality assurance protocols. The company produces all components of its cables in-house—including conductors, insulating compounds, optical fibres, and finished cables—and operates production facilities not only in Pieve Santo Stefano but also in Catania, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany.
The Montani delegation, along with Principal Prof. Stefania Scatasta, expressed their pleasure at the prospect of welcoming Engineer Albano Bragagni, his family, and his team to Fermo for a visit to the city and to the M.I.T.I. Museum, in tribute to his father-in-law, Egidio Capaccini, who graduated many years ago from the historic institute.
During their stay, students and teachers also had the opportunity to visit the unique “Piccolo Museo del Diario” (Little Museum of Diaries), guided by curator Giacomo Benedetti and other dedicated volunteers. The museum tells the stories of countless lives, including that of the farmer Clelia Marchi, who wrote her autobiography line by line on a bedsheet from her wedding trousseau, and Vincenzo Rabito, who fought a seven-year battle against semi-illiteracy by typing his life story on an old Olivetti typewriter, 1,027 pages with zero line spacing!
The initiative was made possible by Dr. Feliciano Esposto, a former student of the Montani Institute and a leading expert in optical fibres.
Students and faculty members from the Montani Institute had the opportunity to visit TRATOS Cavi S.p.A. in Pieve Santo Stefano (AR),
welcomed with exceptional generosity and hospitality by the company’s President, Engineer Albano Bragagni.
