The 2024 University Palio has begun and kicked off this morning with the press conference to present the event which took place at Cus Catania and which, in the afternoon, came to life with the parade of students from all the Departments of the University of Catania which started from Villa Bellini and ended in Piazza Università where the Rector Francesco Priolo and the president of Cus Luigi Mazzone officially inaugurated the 19th edition.
Before the start of the initial races of the competition, the Rector expressed authentic enthusiasm by praising all the Departments for the official start of the Palio. 13 teams are participating in the event, organized by Cus Catania and the University of Catania, for a total of around 200 athletes for each representative.
There are many new features of the Palio 2024, above all environmental sustainability, the main theme of this 19th edition and the participation of students from Italy, France, Poland, Spain and Greece who will compete in speed and sack racing competitions. The collaboration between CUS and the University has foreseen this year, within the organization of the University Palio, the creation of the First EUNICE Palio. But also the confirmation of the format that was very successful in the previous edition.
The president of Cus Catania Luigi Mazzone, the vice-rector Francesca Longo, the deputy mayor of Catania Paolo La Greca, the general director of FCE Salvatore Fiore and the manager of the administration area of AMTS Rosario Laudani took part in the presentation press conference.
“The activities are those of other years with some additions – explained the president of the Etna University Sports Center Luigi Mazzone -. We started this afternoon in Piazza Università, tomorrow we will be at the “Le Capannine” tourist village and then we will close in our Cittadella facilities at Cus Catania. Like every year, all Departments are involved with thousands of students. The Palio is the University festival, the Cus Catania festival and as I have said several times, it is now one of the events that involves the most people in our city. Seeing our students fill the streets of the center of Catania makes us understand the importance of this event”.
“It is beautiful how this event leaves the university premises and joyfully flows into the streets of the city – added the vice-rector Francesca Longo -. This year there is also something new. In addition to Catania university students, there will also be students from other universities that are part of the European University Eunice, a network to which Unict belongs. Kids from France, Spain, Poland and Greece will participate with their team in this great party. It will also be a Palio Green thanks to the control room that has been taking care of this aspect for years now. The event will try to have as little impact as possible, giving the opportunity to travel by public transport. Each participant will have a gift of a carob tree given to us by the Regional Forestry Department, with which each participant will try to solve the problem of the minimum impact that the Palio will have on the environment”.
“It is a beautiful event – the words of the deputy mayor Paolo La Greca – which marks the life at the University of Catania, the great participation of the students. The Municipality is very happy to be an active part of it. Our public transport (underground and buses) participate fully because it is an opportunity to demonstrate even more how Catania can experience a new dimension of sustainability, long and tiring certainly, but which Mayor Trantino’s administration is pursuing firmly. The relationship between the University and the Municipality is fundamental and I must say that, never before now, the two institutions have an extraordinary synergy of intent. As a teacher at the Faculty of Engineering I have many t-shirts because Engineering has often won. I know that medicine is the other great competitor, but I wish all the Departments, a bit impartial at this point, to enjoy the Palio to the fullest”.
President Mazzone highlighted the importance of the synergy with the University of Catania and the great support received from the ARS chaired by Gaetano Galvagno who sent his message: “The Palio d’Ateneo is an event that every year I follow with sympathy and attention, given that I have great interest in everything that revolves around the world of young people. The involvement of many students makes it a unique moment of aggregation and discussion, as well as competition and fun. As president of the Ars I am very happy to have supported this initiative and I applaud the CUS and the University of Catania for organizing an event of great significance and importance”
“We are always happy to join the initiatives of the University of Catania – said the general director of FCE Salvatore Fiore -. The collaboration between two important bodies like the University and us is fundamental. In this specific case it is even more significant as it is an event linked to sport and therefore to sustainable mobility. We know that it is a very popular event and there is a lot of healthy competition so we are proud to be a partner of this important initiative”.
“Collaboration with the University and its students – stated Rosario Laudani, director of the AMTS administration area – is an essential characteristic for a large city like Catania. This year we have enriched the fleet with various electric vehicles. To further support the success of the event, we have strengthened line D to make it easier for participants to travel to the races that will take place at the Le Capannine tourist village.”
On Thursday 9 May, the second day of the Palio, from 9.00 we will move to the Kennedy della Plaia coast to start the races that will take place at the “Le Capannine” tourist village.
Friday 10th, the long final day in the facilities of the University Sports Center of Catania, for the conclusion of the competitions and the proclamation of the department that will win the 2024 edition.
