For Matteo Violani, a very young student from Faenza at the Oriani technical institute, the recognition as Standard Bearer of the Republic coincided with his turning eighteen yesterday. ‘He stood out for his volunteer service during the flood. His commitment constitutes an example of active citizenship and symbolizes the resilience of an entire community.
Matteo Violani, what will you think about when you walk through the door of the Quirinale on May 13th to receive the recognition from Sergio Mattarella?
“Definitely to all the volunteers I met during the weeks of the flood. I feel this recognition as belonging to an entire community, to a generation of young people who like me have used a few weeks of their lives to help others. I dedicate this award to them, to those who shoveled tons of mud and to those who committed themselves to consoling people who were going through a moment of great difficulty”.
What do you remember?
“First of all, the great fear for my grandmother, who lived in via Argnani, in the Ponte Rosso district. Fortunately she was not at home alone on the night of May 16th: thanks to the fact that my grandfather was in hospital, my sister and my aunt, who immediately understood that it was necessary to go to the upper floors. They were very scared but the next morning they were able to leave the house. It all started there: together with my family we went to free my grandparents’ house mud, and then, like many other people from Romagna, we continued to help the neighbors, then the other inhabitants of the neighborhood, and then the various other parts of the city”.
What did the flood leave her?
“I met people who arrived here from all over Italy, which, for anyone who has been a teenager in recent years, is not a given. Many were scouts like me, or in any case kids close to the voluntary associations to which I am most attached. Others were very young people who arrived from various regions, or even just kids from my institute. The school was closed for two weeks at first, then reopened but allowed the students to go away to volunteer. I, like many others, returned for just a few days, to get involved I think that experience has clarified my ideas a little about what I want to do in life. At Oriani I studied graphics, a year ago, if they had asked me, I would have said that I would have liked to continue my studies on the artistic or design front. Today I am no longer so convinced, I would like to do something that keeps me in contact with others”.
How does a newly 18-year-old look at Faenza today? “Unfortunately there are still many people far from their homes. This is a wound for our fellow citizens, but more generally for the whole city. Some will not even be able to return home. If I can make an appeal, I would like it not to go out. “Be careful not to interrupt the cycle of donations.”
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