30 awarded in Florence for the Merit of the Republic (PHOTO)

Flag raising in Piazza della Signoria in Florence for the 78th anniversary of the Republic

FLORENCE – Sober but solemn and heartfelt ceremony on Sunday 2 June in Florence for the 78th anniversary of the Republic. On this occasion, 30 honors of merit of the Republic were awarded to as many citizens of Florence and the province, to «reward merits acquired towards the Nation in the field of literature, the arts, the economy and in the disengagement of public offices and activities carried out for social, philanthropic and humanitarian, as well as for long and notable services in civil and military careers”.

In the setting of Piazza della Signoria, the ceremony began with a solemn flag-raising at the foot of the historic Fountain of Neptune. Welcomed by the President of the Region Eugenio Giani and by the mayor of Florence Dario Nardellathe prefect Francesca Ferrandinoaccompanied by the commander of the general military garrison of the army corps Massimo Panizzi, reviewed a joint forces training unit with the fanfare of the Carabinieri Marshals and Brigadiers School. Also lined up were representatives of the National Institute of the Blue Ribbon and numerous military associations. The highest civil, military and religious authorities of Florence were present at the foot of the Arengario of Palazzo Vecchio.

In his greeting, Nardella, on his last Republic Day as mayor of Florence due to the expiration of his mandate, wanted in particular to pay homage to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and to his particular proximity to Florence, where he went on official visits many times during his two mandates as Head of State. «The Res Publica is everything – he said – it is not just a legal entity. It is all of us, it is the material heritage of our country, but also the immaterial one such as our values and our traditions.”

Prefect Ferrandino then read the message that President Mattarella sent to the Prefects of Italy on the occasion of Republic Day. «Remembering – writes the Head of State – is an exercise specific to every citizen and especially for those who, exercising public functions, find in the constitutional principles of freedom, equality and solidarity a compass of sure orientation in the face of the complex challenges of the present. The Prefects, in particular, are called in the provincial territories to be, every day, the cornerstone of unity and social cohesion, embodying, in the delicate areas entrusted to them, the mission of tireless ‘operators of the Constitution’, working for the common good”. Here is the complete text of President Mattarella’s message to the Prefects.

IMAGE GALLERY 1 – THE CEREMONY

HONORS

At the end, the long-awaited presentation of the Honors of Merit of the Republic (OMRI) took place. Here is the list of honorees. In the photo gallery the images of the individual awards.

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