Today (07/07/2026), with a heavy heart, I learned from my PhD advisor, Giampiero, that Guido Celentano is no longer with us.
A couple of weeks ago, I heard the heartbreaking news that Guido had suffered a severe cerebrovascular attack and was in critical condition at the hospital in Avezzano. We all hoped for a miracle, but today that hope has given way to grief. The news has brought back a flood of memories from my years in Naples, where, as a young graduate student far away from home, I was fortunate to know one of the kindest human beings I have ever met.
I first met Guido in 2008 when I arrived at the Department of Physics of the University of Naples Federico II to begin my PhD. Like many international students, I came to Italy carrying dreams, excitement, and also the uncertainty that comes with starting a new life in a foreign country. It did not take long to discover that there was one person in the department to whom everyone turned whenever they needed help. That person was Guido.
Officially, he served as the secretary of the department. In reality, he was so much more. Guido had an extraordinary gift for making people feel welcome. He helped us navigate the complexities of Italian bureaucracy, accompanied us through procedures that often seemed impossible to understand, advised us about accommodation, banks, doctors, residence permits, and countless other practical matters that define everyday life but are especially daunting for a newcomer. He never treated these tasks as obligations. He approached every request with patience, kindness, and a reassuring smile that instantly dissolved anxiety.
For many of us who had left our families thousands of miles away, Guido became something of a local guardian. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done, whom to call, where to go, and how to solve problems that looked unsolvable. More importantly, he knew how to reassure us that everything would eventually work out.
What I remember most, however, is not only his efficiency but his humanity. His office door was never merely the entrance to an administrative office; it was the doorway to warmth, encouragement, and genuine friendship. Amid the pressures of research, deadlines, and thesis writing, Guido always found time for a cheerful conversation, a joke, or simply a few kind words. His laughter echoed through the corridors of the department, reminding all of us that academia is ultimately a community of people before it is a community of ideas.
During my PhD years from 2008 to 2011, Guido became an inseparable part of my life in Naples. His quiet generosity shaped my experience of the university as much as my scientific education did. Looking back, I realize that many of the happiest memories from those years are intertwined with his presence.
The last time I saw Guido was in January 2019, during a visit to Naples to meet my advisor, Professor Giampiero Esposito. As always, I found Guido in front of his office. Time had passed, but nothing about him had changed. The same warm smile, the same welcoming spirit, the same genuine happiness to see an old student return. It was one of those ordinary encounters that, only in hindsight, reveals itself to have been a precious farewell.
Just a year ago, on the occasion of his retirement, I wrote that it was difficult to imagine the Department of Physics without Guido. At the time, I meant that no one could truly replace his kindness, his experience, or his remarkable ability to make everyone feel at home. I never imagined that those words would so soon acquire a far deeper meaning.
Today the corridors of the Dipartimento di Fisica at Federico II feel different in my memory. I cannot picture them without imagining Guido’s familiar smile behind his desk or hearing his friendly voice greeting students from every corner of the world. His absence will be felt not only by colleagues but by generations of researchers whose first memories of Naples were made brighter because Guido was there to welcome them.
Science often celebrates great discoveries and distinguished careers. Yet institutions are equally shaped by people like Guido whose names may not appear on research papers but whose kindness enables countless others to pursue their work with confidence and hope. His legacy lives in every student he encouraged, every problem he quietly solved, every anxious newcomer he helped become part of the university family.
Thank you, Guido, for your generosity, your patience, your compassion, and your friendship. Thank you for helping transform a foreign city into a home for so many of us. You were part of our education, but even more, you became part of our lives. You will be remembered not only with admiration but with deep affection. May you now rest in peace.
Former PhD Student (2008–2011)
Department of Physics
University of Naples Federico II