Imola, a gold medal city for military valor for partisan activity, celebrated on April 25th by returning to Piazza Matteotti for the official celebration on the centenary of the assassination of Giacomo Matteotti by fascist hitmen. And he did so by making the young students of the third classes of the “Orsini” secondary school of the IC7 the protagonists, in an ideal embrace between generations, with the partisans Adriano Barbieri and Vittorio Gardi, present in Piazza Matteotti, in a large audience.
The mayor also underlined this Marco Panieri, in his speech, highlighting that “finding ourselves in the square, again, is always a duty and an emotion. Especially when we remember a symbolic date of our collective history such as April 25, 1945, when that day the war and the Nazi-fascist occupation finally came to an end. It is a duty to do it together, because these are the moments that more than others characterize and give meaning to our being a community.”
The intense program of the morning – The day began at 8.45 am, in the Anpi headquarters (Piazzale Giovanni dalle Bande Nere), with the placing of a wreath on the tombstone of the partisans who fell in Bologna in the presence of the Mayor, Marco Panieri and the President of Anpi Imola, Gabrio Salieri. Then at 9 am the departure of the procession for Piazza Matteotti, where at 9.30 am the concert of the Banda Musicale Città di Imola took place, with the inevitable performance of the Mameli Hymn.
At 9.30 am in the premises of the former Bar Bacchilega, adjacent to the square, the exhibition “When a Space Becomes a Place / ART4Rights” was inaugurated, with the exhibition of the projects carried out between 2023-2024 in the partner countries: ITALY, CROATIA , GERMANY, FINLAND, IRELAND, LATVIA, PORTUGAL and SWEDEN, within the European CERV project, curated by Annalisa Cattani, Imola Musei, SERN and the Municipality of Imola. Readings of songs by Franco Leidi, Italian partisan, well-known artist in Sweden, with
The students of class 5ATA Alberghetti Institute Imola, prof. Andrea Pagani, read passages by Italian partisan Franco Leidi, a well-known artist in Sweden.
Then, at 10.30 am, on the stage set up in Piazza Matteotti – VOICES 4 RIGHTS performance on stage
The third classes of the “Orsini” secondary school of the IC7 Institute gave life to the performance VOICES 4 RIGHTS, extract from the UN project. Debate on rights with students. By: Prof. Anna Garbesi, Emanuela Di Lallo, Lisa Laffi, Pina Zechini, Grazia Serroni, Chiara Tonelli, Luciano Marcucci and Chiara Gollini – coordination by Dr. Pierpaolo Baladelli (former UN official). This was followed by the dance performance “When a body becomes a place”, curated by Professor Alessandra Scardovi of Danza &… Danza. Dancing: Giada Borghesi, Nicole Boscarino, Anna Brini, Elena Casadei, Samanta Carciu, Giorgia Farneti, Matilde Martinini, Sofia Michinelli, Asia Morini, Viola Morini, Filippo Zannoni coordinated by professor Alessandra Scardovi of Dance &… Dance.
The speeches of the president Anpi, Salieri and the mayor Panieri – It was then time for the official celebration, with the speech from the stage in Piazza Matteotti by Gabrio Salieri, president of Anpi Imola (the full speech is attached) and followed by the mayor Marco Panieri (the full speech is attached).
At the end, the mayor Marco Panieri, the president of Anpi Gabrio Salieri and the sen. Daniele Manca placed a wreath on the tombstone of the fallen in war, located in the entrance hall of the town hall.
Immediately afterwards, the procession started towards the Partisan Monument (Piazzale Leonardo da Vinci). Here the third classes of the “Orsini” secondary school, of the IC7 Institute, coordinated by Profs. Raffaella Domenicali, Massimo Pitone, Monica Sabbatani, Paola Vacchi gave life to a performance in which the students embodied Rights.
Then, the mayor Marco Panieri, the president of Anpi Gabrio Salieri and the sen. Daniele Manca laid a wreath at the Partisan Monument.
The afternoon program – In the afternoon the celebrations continue in Piazza Matteotti, starting from 4.00 pm, with the installation and performance “Il Piedistallo Vooto”, a monument dedicated to women, curated by Annalisa Cattani, Carlo Geraci on guitar, performance “El Polifemo d’ Gold” Reginald Smith Bundle, International Academy Foundation Meetings with the Master and the interventions of the Association for Women. At 4.45pm: Dance performance by Letizia Landi of IndipenDance Studio. From 5.00 pm: the “25 April in the square” initiative will also take place in Piazza Matteotti Anti-fascist concerts, people and words”. The group of young Papaveri organizes an afternoon of celebration, concerts and anti-fascist words.
The groups on stage: at 5pm Perdirvi, Blues Fools, Full charge, Umarell; from 9pm: SoloCarlos&PausaPaglia, Goodbye Neverland, Bagna Djset.
From 5.30pm to 7.30pm a Children’s Space will also be set up by the Ponte Azzurro association.
