ANCONA This is Ancona, towards the world. The two days of re-enactments organized by the Italian Amateur Radio Association of Ancona to commemorate Guglielmo Marconi’s stay in the city began yesterday morning on Monte dei Cappuccini. The famous inventor from Bologna visited the Dorica in 1904 and took the opportunity to carry out some experiments. As a temporary base he chose the old lighthouse, at Cardeto. «He wanted to understand the difference in the propagation of radio waves between day and night» explains Marco Olivieri, secretary of Ari Ancona.
The acronym
Just yesterday Marconi Day was celebrated, the international event that radio wave enthusiasts dedicate to the godfather of this discipline. For the occasion, the radio station built on Monte dei Cappuccini took on a special callsign, called Marconian: this acronym – which identifies the place of transmission – is issued directly by the Ministry only to the sites where Marconi operated. In the case of Ancona, the identifier is IY6GM. Several experts took turns on the radio yesterday to speak with their counterparts from all over the world, recounting Marconi’s exploits in Ancona. Like Stefano Gigli, who managed to connect to England from his camper. «We like doing radio, that is, connecting with others who share this passion, around the world or close to home because distance is not the most important thing» he explains.
The security
The day is marked by the impulses of the telegraph, given that on Monte dei Cappuccini we are equipped to communicate as the radio operators of the past did. A day of celebration, however, seasoned with a hint of bitterness. If in 2004, in fact, radio amateurs were able to set up their station in the small house that hosted Marconi, today the structure – owned by the State – is off limits. Ergo: you have to stay outside. Security problems, they say. From the outside, the interior appears to be in a state of abandonment. «As an Association we would like to be able to create a permanent museum of equipment and a small station to create a Marconi hub» says Olivieri. «We would like that solution, it could give an even more complete meaning to that place which, in fact, has an important history» replies the Heritage councilor Angelo Eliantonio. For some time, in fact, the Municipality has been looking for a way to revitalize the area of the old lighthouse. The hypothesis was to purchase the land from the State Property Office. «We need to understand with them how to manage the part linked to the redevelopment to be implemented in the overall package of measures and agreements concerning the Cardeto Park. There will be news later” concludes Eliantonio.
