On This Day: The Lupetto becomes an official club logo

It may not be a match date, but 30 June 1978 remains a pivotal calendar entry in the history of the club - as it was the date that the 'Lupetto', the iconic wolf head emblem, became an official AS Roma logo.

The simple yet striking design, easy to attempt to draw yet deceptively difficult to truly capture its likeness, became a cornerstone of the club's identity for so many fans, particularly those who grew up in the 1980s - right when the club's avant-garde stylistic identity and the quality of its on-pitch product were aligning to memorable effect.

Designed by the beloved (and dearly missed) Piero Gratton, the Lupetto was the first in a wave of designs from the illustrator that helped push AS Roma to the forefront in brand and marketing in that era.

The design was formally registered at Rome's Ufficio Centrale Brevetti (protocol 34216C/78), with the Ministry of Industry describing the patent application thusly:

"Two dark concentric shapes create the schematic representation of a wolf's head with its mouth slightly open, and a large clear oval eye."

The understandably prosaic, mechanical description hardly does justice to the impact the design would go on to have on Roma fans; becoming a beloved visual identity that has featured on club kits throughout the decades since.

The application was not the only one submitted via Gratton that day, or subsequently, but it remains the most visible and renowned of his many design contributions to the club he loved.

Through the club's historical archive, Gratton's works are preserved to this day - having become more than just a designer, but an inspiration and a guiding influence on the Giallorossi, the club's fans and wider football culture.

And it arguably all began on this day, with this design submission.

See photos of the Lupetto on club shirts down the years!

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