The Tricolore on the Colosseum with Chiara Vignini, the L’Aquila native among the Fire Brigade protagonists of June 2nd

Chiara Vignini from L’Aquila was among the firefighters who accompanied the descent of the flag from the Colosseum, on the occasion of the celebrations of June 2nd. “For me a great emotion”.

Chiara Vignini, L’Aquila in service in Belluno, he was among the firefighters who, yesterday, Sunday 2 June, lowered themselves from the Colosseum for the descent of the Tricolore, the tribute of the Corps on Republic Day. Yesterday’s celebrations were historic, as they saw the participation of all Italian regions in the great military parade for the first time. Then there was also the young Chiara, who chose to become a firefighter after the Amatrice earthquake.
“We left the Central Fire Schools as early as six in the morning to organize ourselves as best we could, in fact we were in front of the Colosseum from 7.30 am to start preparations. There was a general debriefing with the latest recommendations and good luck. Then we waited for 9, the time indicated to start going out: as soon as we leaned out the windows of the Colosseum, seeing Rome from above and the sky crossed by the Frecce Tricolori was thrilling”, Chiara tells us, while she is already on her way back to Belluno.

Chiara Vignini joined the Fire Brigade in June 2022 and completed the training course in Capannelle, in the Central Fire Fighting Schools of Rometo then be assigned to Belluno. “I feel very good. Belluno is a beautiful city: however, every now and then the lack of home makes itself felt. I definitely think of returning to L’Aquila in the future”, Chiara confesses.
He is only 29 years old, therefore, but his ideas are already clear. The same ideas that led her to choose her life’s profession in an emergency context that she found herself facing. Not the L’Aquila earthquake, as one might think – it was still too young in 2009 – but that of Amatrice. “I accompanied a friend of mine after the earthquake that occurred during the night. Together, as civilians and with the little we could do, we helped the population of Amatrice. When I returned home I felt full: full of energy and the desire to help, to be useful. Shortly thereafter the Fire Brigade’s competition announcement came out and I decided to participate.” His future in helping people was perhaps written in the stars. She, who was sleeping in the car with her family on the night of 6 April 2009, was in fact woken up by the earthquake at 3.32am and left, in the car driven by her father, for the historic centre, upon hearing the news from some family members. ended up under the rubble.

A journey, hers, which will most likely see Chiara return to L’Aquila in the next few years and work as a firefighter in her city. Meanwhile, she continues her education. “Beyond the event of June 2nd – Chiara specifies – the Fire Brigade carries out rope training courses, SAF courses, speleo-alpine-river courses. Obtaining these qualifications allows, among other things, to take part in activities such as those of June 2nd. I was chosen a few months ago and I already started practicing the various planned maneuvers in the barracks. Last May 23rd we started the mission in Rome: we were a team of 72 people, busy every day working both at the Colosseum and in the schools. A lot of work and numerous tests to practice the descent of the flag and understand how to coordinate ourselves to fold it. A completely manual job that requires great preparation. From May 23rd to June 2nd we rehearsed every day, also doing exercises at night. There’s a lot of work behind it, but it’s absolutely worth it.”