«It was the G7 of the Borgo Egnazia region. And Puglia? Maybe he’s in Italy.” The provocation (which is circulating on the web) touches the heart of the story: can the world’s greats end up in an “invented” resort and thus obscure what is real in the land of the sea, culture and innovation? The alarm was raised by several politicians and sector operators. Two days ago too Nancy Dell’Olio, for years invested by the governor Michele Emiliano with the role of “ambassador of Puglia in the world”, has increased the dose by provoking numerous reactions: “Borgo Egnazia? It is a place invented and built from scratch. There is no real architectural element, it is simply a resort in the Fasano area. Therefore the invitation is not to pass off the G7 as an event held in a reality that does not exist.”
Bonelli: «The stamp promotes the village, not Puglia»
«Let’s be clear – he attacks Angelo Bonelli, deputy of the Greens and the Left – the image that emerges from this G7 is one of luxury and falsehood. It is the media evidence of an event that solves nothing. There are 750 million people in the world who have difficulty accessing food and they lock themselves away in a non-place without elements of historicity because this village never existed. Puglia, perhaps, deserved more. Have you seen the G7 commemorative stamp? It says Borgo Egnazia, not Fasano or Puglia: this is how a 5-star private resort is promoted.”
The location was chosen by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who, in the final speech of the summit, recalled: «Seeing the world’s greats talking about global challenges in a village, reminding us that we are not able to face these challenges if we do not start from the identity that has made us the civilization we are. I am happy that we managed to find this splendid synthesis, I think that the message has arrived loud and clear and I think that several leaders who came to visit us will return to holiday in these parts”. The structure, essentially, is a Disneyland of Apulian villages (in VIP format).
Amati: «Borgo Egnazia is new, but it is giving results»
He intervenes on the matter Fabiano Amati – president of the Regional Budget Commission and councilor for urban planning in Fasano in the years of building permits – placing emphasis on the function of redeeming the territory. «But is it true that Borgo Egnazia is completely new? Yes, it’s true. There was nothing. In those days Fasano – adds Amati – was one of the “capitals” of smuggling. A few years before the Primavera operation, the armored vehicles of “blondes” were whizzing through the streets and sheep tracks. A new thing was made to enrich the old things. And the results of this method, the only method to be recognized in public administration, is bearing fruit and in forms that are even unimaginable even for the most unbridled optimists.” It may well be that there is news, but in the hundreds of comments on Amati’s post there are those who ask for clarification on the proximity of the “cement” to the archaeological excavations and those who highlight the image flop for Fasano (known only for the demonstration of those protest against the summit). Others remember the fortune made by the Melpignanos in a corner of Puglia which is now a tourism mine.
Al Bano: «Now everyone knows where Puglia is»
«In 2009 Sergio Melpignano (founder of the resort, ed.) took me to visit the construction site of what would soon become Borgo Egnazia. Sergio – clarifies Massimo Ferraresepresident of the Province of Brindisi at the time – was an extraordinary visionary and I am almost certain that when he told me “they will come to Savelletri from all over the world, attracted by the magic of Borgo Egnazia”, deep down in his heart he was certain that what he was creating from nowhere in the countryside of Fasano – and on which few would have bet at the time – it would have entered the history books in one way or another”.
The photos have been taken, the world leaders have left and we need to look to the future so as not to lose a wealth of international visibility. The structure will have collected (empty or full) quite a few euros. But as usual it is the practicality of the Apulians that indicates the route. He says so explicitly Al Bano Carrisi, the one who has always been a promoter of the territory both on stages around the world and in collecting the family’s peasant heritage. Tenute Al Bano (from hospitality to the production of wine and oil) are the envy of many. «Let’s look at the substance – concludes the Cellino San Marco star – there was an event that projected our territory into the world. We have to be proud beyond the location, which may well have been built a few years ago. Puglia is now a reality and I am no longer forced to draw the geographical location on a piece of paper when I go abroad. What do I expect? May politicians know how to exploit this explosion of notoriety and thus help the community.”
