La Thuile 2014: Theoretical premises to neutrino round table

This talk, dedicated to the memory of G. Giacomelli, introduced the round table on neutrinos held in February 2014. The topics selected for the discussion are: 1) the neutrinoless double beta decay rate (interpretation in terms of light neutrinos, nuclear uncertainties); 2) the physics in the gigantic water Cherenkov detectors (proton decay, atmospheric neutrinos); 3) the study of neutrino oscillations (mass hierarchy and CP violation; other neutrino states); 4) the neutrino astronomy at low and high energies (solar, supernova, cosmic neutrinos). The importance of an active interplay between theory and experiment is highlighted.