The Società Orticola Italiana (Italian Horticultural Society) was founded by Prof. Renzo Giuliani, President of the Accademia Economico-Agraria dei Georgofili, from the need to establish at national level, an association capable of coordinating local and regional initiatives in the growing sector of horticulture.. The SOI was constituted on 12 December 1953, at the Georgofili Academy in Florence. On that occasion the statutes of the Society were signed and the constitution compiled and signed by the 37 foundation members. The general council was then elected by secret vote, with the following result: For the Floriculture Section: Prof. Eva Mameli Calvino, Conte Carlo Gola, M.se Piero Grossi, Vittorio Barni, Cavaliere del Lavoro Giuseppe Ratti, Stefano Bensa, Prof. Pietro Porcinai, Domenico delle Cave, Dr. Giuseppe Megna. For the Fruit Cultural Section: Prof. Alessandro Morettini, Prof. Nino Breviglieri, Prof. Mario Marinucci, Prof. Alberto Pirovano, Prof. Mario Zucchini, Prof. Raffaele Carlone, Dr. Oscar Bonfiglioli, Dr. Edo Ansaloni, Prof. Attilio Todeschini. For the Vegetable Crops Section: Dr. Pasquale Emilio Landi, Prof. Antonio Turchi, Prof. Cirillo Maliani, Dr. Antonio De Corato, Prof. Aurelio Carrante, Dr. Erinos Sgaravatti, Dr. Tommaso Ingegnoli, Luigi Anfossi, Angelo Valle. On 9 January 1954 the General President, the Presidents of the sections, and the General Secretary, were nominated. Since then alternated to different positions:
President Alessandro Morettini 1954-1973 Franco Scaramuzzi 1974-1985 Silviero Sansavini 1986-1991 Carlo Fideghelli 1992-2000 Elvio Bellini 2001-2003 Giancarlo Barbieri 2004-2006 Paolo Inglese 2007-current
Secretary-General Treasurer Elvio Bellini 1986-2000 Antonio Grassotti 2001-2003 Galileo Magnani 2004-2006 Antonio Grassotti 2007-current
President Vegetable Crops Luigi Anfossi 1954 Cirillo Maliani 1955-1957 Angelo Camparini 1958-1960 Ranieri Favilli 1961-1966 Enrico Moschini 1967-1977 Giuseppe La Malfa 1977-1979 Luigi Basoccu 1980-1985 Franco Tognoni 1986-1991 Vittorio Dellacecca 1992-1994 Vitangelo Magnifico 1995-2000 Vito Miccolis 2001-2006 Antonio Elia 2007-current
President Floriculture Carlo Gola 1954-1964 Giuseppe Ratti 1964-1965 Pierluigi Ghisleni 1965-1974 Luciana Quagliotti 1974-1980 Romano Tesi 1980-1985 Talia Maria Cocozza 1985-1994 Raffaele Bazzocchi 1994-2000 Stefania De Pascale 2001-2003 Antonio Grassotti 2004-2006 Gianvito Zizzo 2007-current
President Fruit Culture Mario Marinucci 1954-1957 Nino Breviglieri 1958-1963 Mario Zucchini 1963-1964 Enrico Baldini 1964-1970 Franco Scaramuzzi 1970-1972 Pier Luigi Pisani 1973-1974 Silviero Sansavini 1974-1985 Carlo Fideghelli 1986-1991 Claudio Giulivo 1992-1994 Guglielmo Costa 1995-2000 Paolo Inglese 2001-2006 Ugo Palara 2007 - current
