Post-industry and knowledge economy will be at the center of the candidacy of Toasts to Italian capital of culture for 2027. Both the mayor and the mayor have reiterated this in recent days Giuseppe Marchionna than the artistic director Chris Torch. But how is this idea, fundamental for the candidacy, received by those who move the levers of the local economy?
Planning and development
For the president of the Southern Adriatic Sea Port System Authority Ugo Patroni Griffithe choice is «consistent with the vision of the System Authority. For some time we have been saying that we are in a phase of industrial reconversion from a type of economy that Gunter Pauli defines as “red economy” and we are moving towards an economy labeled as “blue economy”, founded on technological innovation and the principles of the circular economy. This is happening, essentially, in all major European port cities. It happened in Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, it happens in Marseille, Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremen, Rotterdam. All cities whose main characteristic is that of having a city at their centre port which represents a significant part of the city’s GDP.” In all these cities, underlines Patroni Griffi, «this symbiosis between port and city has become virtuous and while the port continued to serve as a place of exchange for goods and passengers, it also became the main tourist attractor. Today, in all these cities, one of the most popular excursions, which can also be reproduced in Brindisi, is a visit to the port. Not of the ancient port but of the industrial one, because it fascinates as much as and even more than the ancient port».
The relationship between city and port
No conflicts, therefore, between the industrial economy, which is what makes the port of Brindisi go round, and the ideas underlying the candidacy for Italian Capital of Culture. «If there wasn’t conflict in all the ports I mentioned, I would say no. And I could add – continues Patroni Griffi – the Italian ports of Ravenna, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples. Why should these ideas conflict? I’ve always said that the theme is to normalize the vision of Brindisi. There are indicators that are also fundamentals that are commonly understood and shared and concern the development of port cities. And here these fundamentals can also find a virtuous application in Brindisi.” A path, reiterates the president of the System Authority, «which we have followed for example with the experiment we carried out on city-port planning and col master’s degree we have on the economy of port cities. Everything is going in this sense and in this direction and now it must be brought back to a common factor.”
The Madonna of Filippelli
Finally, Patroni Griffi says he is happy with the candidacy and the strategic choices that are taking shape. «Soon – he reports – I will see the mayor and the Honorable D’Attis to talk about the shipbuilding for offshore wind. I can’t wait to meet them also because we are contributing to the G7 with a very symbolic and important work and we have to decide where to exhibit it.” It is, he explains, a work of Francesco Filippelli which will resume «a painting that has disappeared from the port for many years now and which was seen by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, writer from whose pen the famous stories of Father Brown were born, when he arrived in Brindisi from Palestine. Exactly that painting accelerated his conversion from the Protestant religion to Catholicism. Let’s say that, a bit like Gandhi’s story, it is a way to point out the thousand-year history of the city. Starting precisely from this event which, at this moment, is also significant, because we are talking about a Madonna who calmed the soul and led to conversion. A Madonna who favors peace and I believe that today, in the proximity of the G7, it is particularly significant to give a message of hope that the many ongoing conflicts can be calmed down. A message which, among other things, it can be part of the paraphernalia of the candidacy of Brindisi a Capital of culture».
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