The article discusses some aspects of Flavia Franzoni’s contribution to the development of social work in Italy. In particular, it shows the important teaching and research function of the Schools of Social Service, where she worked, both in the years when the training of social workers was still outside the university and in later years. Some occasions of study and debate that the author witnessed are reported to highlight Franzoni’s skills and personal style in accompanying the growth of many generations of social workers. Franzoni’s intellectual contribution is framed in the broader historical and cultural context of social service and social policies in Italy, devoting more attention to the evolution of social service schools, in order to highlight the spaces of innovation, research and social promotion in which Franzoni was able to develop her commitment.
