Foggia. “In response to the numerous opinions that have recently emerged regarding the Campi Diomedei Park, we believe it is important to reflect on the history and battles that have marked its evolution. Since the 1980s, groups such as the Greens, represented in Foggia by figures such as Annamaria Novelli, together with young professionals gathered around the Green University and historic environmentalist associations such as the WWF, Centro Studi Naturalistici, Legambiente, etc. they fought strenuously to protect this area from complete construction, a fate that later affected many other areas of Foggia.
The battles followed one another, both within the City Council, with interventions by the then Green Councilor, which through citizen committees for the archaeological valorization of the area, counteracting attempts at compromise that would have irremediably compromised the territory. Thanks to legal appeals and interventions at the Ministry for Cultural Heritage, the area has finally been protected by restrictions that state that it cannot be built on. However, there was no shortage of critical issues along the way. The political will to exclude environmentalists from the 2008 international competition commission was a betrayal
of the progressive and environmentalist principles of the Left.
The winning project, ‘Contexts’, was in our opinion devoid of shared environmental considerations, especially regarding the typology of botanical speciesdue to the underestimation of the aspects linked to the increase in biodiversity of the park, has generated further controversies, as has the political compromise that has
the space allocated to the park has been reduced to favor other interests linked to the dying Institute for Horse Riding, which would deserve a destination capable of favoring its relaunch as a former National Sheepfold or Masseria Giardino.
During Mayor Landella’s first term, the complexities of the project were accentuated by political differences, with opposition also within the City Council with the support of local, regional and national political representatives of the M5S. However, the intervention of the Superintendence further complicated the situation, blocking the works and introducing contested provisions.
Today, we cannot ignore that the many current critical issues cannot be attributed to the current administration, but require a reflection on the political responsibilities of the past, in particular historically of the PD and more recently of the M5S. An open discussion is therefore necessary between the current administration and the Greens, together with environmentalist associations, to plan interventions aimed at making the park usable and providing new ecosystem services for the citizens of Foggia”. (press note).
