Zio Hoby alias Roberto Badii

Roberto Badii, also known as Zio Hoby

Roberto Badii, affectionately known as Zio Hoby, was born in Arezzo, Tuscany, in 1963, into a humble family.

At the age of three, he moved with his parents to Florence, where he spent his youth immersed in the city’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

From an early age, he showed a lively curiosity and a deep passion for learning and exploring the world around him.

After earning his diploma as a surveyor, Roberto embarked on a path of continuous education, obtaining two degrees and four second-level international master’s degrees in the managerial field.

To support his studies, he worked tirelessly in various jobs: leather craftsman, dishwasher, waiter, assistant cook, pizza maker, mechanic, water purifier salesman, and even nightclub bouncer. Each experience enriched his worldview and helped shape his character.

In 1985, he founded his own Technical Professional Studio as a freelancer. Initially focused on surveying, the studio evolved into a global technical and managerial consultancy. Roberto took on the role of Corporate General Manager at both national and international levels, leading a team of over 25 professionals. He developed expertise across diverse production sectors, with a particular focus on sustainable development, corporate prevention, and environmental protection.

His versatility and strategic vision earned him the nickname “eclectic advisor” from numerous multinational clients.

In 2010, following the global economic crisis, Roberto chose to step back almost entirely from the world of management to devote himself to his family. He settled in Sersale, Calabria, his partner’s hometown, where he found peace between the sea and the mountains. He is a loving father of three children and a devoted uncle to many nieces and nephews.

During this period of tranquility, he rediscovered his passions: photography, graphic design, and storytelling.

With over thirty years of experience in international marketing, Roberto began crafting tales that blend reality and imagination, aiming to preserve nature, traditions, and indigenous cultures, along with humanity’s essential values: love, respect, and sincerity.

His works convey messages of reverence for Mother Nature and the delicate balance of the living system.

In 2020, during the pandemic, Roberto was consecrated as an author and writer. He published some of his most meaningful works, capable of touching readers’ hearts and awakening values and emotions often buried by the rush of modern life.

His first collection, I Racconti di Zio Hoby (The Tales of Uncle Hoby), launched a narrative series for readers of all ages. The nickname “Hoby,” spontaneously coined by his children and grandchildren, became a symbol of affection and familiarity. These stories aim to revive ancestral and fundamental values, countering the superficiality and stereotypes of contemporary society.

With La Fragolina Magica (The Little Magic Strawberry), translated into five languages, he inaugurated the saga Le Avventure di Pinuccio (The Adventures of Pinuccio). The second episode, Buono come il Pane (Good as Bread), is set to be published in 2026.

Upcoming titles include La Mela Quadrata (The Square Apple) and Il Lavapiatti di Davos (The Dishwasher of Davos), scheduled for release in 2026 and 2027 respectively—more structured and biographical stories and novels. Roberto continues to explore universal themes, awakening deep memories and timeless values in his readers.

In 2023, after four years of work, he published his first fully visual work: I COLORI del MONDO ~ Un MONDO di COLORI (The COLORS of the WORLD ~ A WORLD of COLORS).

This photographic series is an emotional journey through natural and human landscapes, cultures, and chromatic harmonies, conceived as a visual chromotherapy experience to foster serenity and introspection—a remedy for daily stress.

The editorial series, both motivational and reflective, encourages awareness of planetary health and individual responsibility. Through evocative images, Roberto denounces the negligence and indifference of modern society, advocating for conscious and sustainable change.

Harnessing the communicative power of images—accessible to all, regardless of language—Roberto offers a form of VISUAL THERAPY (chronotherapy) that stimulates the psyche and promotes emotional well-being.

The COLORS of the WORLD ~ A WORLD of COLORS unfolds across volumes dedicated to natural landscapes, faces, costumes, children, work, flowers, animals, life’s paths, the tricolor, elements, the universe, Italian and global human landscapes, future landscapes, love, and nature’s imagination.

Through his art, Roberto Badii inspires readers of all ages and backgrounds, promoting awareness, respect, and responsibility toward our planet, its inhabitants, and future generations.

His works celebrate the beauty and fragility of nature, emphasizing the urgent need to preserve its balance to ensure a sustainable future for all.