An intense afternoon was experienced yesterday at Palazzo San Giorgio on the occasion of the presentation of the book “Akedà – Ties, strong ties My Father”which tells the life and testimony of Alessandro CaraccioloCarabinieri marshal who died at the age of 33 due to lung cancer.
The wife’s emotion
What was felt in the Chandelier Hall, however, was not an air of sadness or pain, but of life and hope. A tangible presence, that of Alessandro Caracciolo, witnessed in the words of wife, Roberta Melidona, which recalled the most important moments of their life together, from meeting each other to the choice to get married and have a large family. Melidona narrated how Alessandro’s destiny, as marshal of the Carabinieri, was, in fact, written by an unmistakable sign received during the competitive exams, when the outline of the theme was taken from a book that the young aspiring carabiniere had recently read . A sign from Above, for a man who firmly believed in God and who made his subsequent illness an opportunity for sharing and growth for all those who were close to him. “For many – said Roberta Melidona – the night your husband dies represents the worst moment of your life. For me, however, that was a holy night, although life can sometimes turn into a nightmare. But Alessandro’s joy of living, demonstrated by his never-fading smile even in the photos showing him in hospital, was so evident that it left no room for doubt.”
The volume
The volume, edited by Andrea Canale, tells through writing and images, the life and the most significant moments of the path of suffering experienced by Alessandro Caracciolo, to whose name the association which aims to perpetuate his memory is now linked. Objectives well traced by Antonio Malavendawho reeled off all the stages and charitable activities carried out by the “Alessandro Caracciolo” association, not failing to remember the “great strength” which reaches members every time they catch their friend’s gaze in the photos they keep inside their homes: “There, every thought and worry is brought back to its rightful dimension”explained Malavenda.
Falcomatà’s words
After the introduction of the journalist Consolato Minniti and the memory of Roberta Melidona, it was the turn of the mayor of Reggio Calabria, Giuseppe Falcomatàwho, in front of many young footballers of the “Ludos” association, traced a profile of Alessandro, starting from one of his passions: the soccer. A metaphor for life. “Alexander – the mayor said – teaches us how we can and must pursue the objective we have set ourselves with ‘discipline and honour’, legality and transparency. Objectives that must not be pursued at all costs, but which must be achieved without betraying one’s ideals and the trust given.”
A similarity which, Falcomatà recalled, can also be compared to those who hold a public office. According to the mayor, Caracciolo led “nobility of soul even in contexts where this is often lacking”. Alexander “he taught us that there is a way to experience suffering, a path of sacrifice and pain that does not necessarily require hardening. Suffering should not be wasted and Alessandro showed us how, with dignity, we can transform it into testimony and opportunity”. Words that echo what the young man told his friends in the days of suffering: “Every day that passes is a continuous discovery for me… without this suffering I would have continued to stay away from him even if I thought he was close… to continue to live my life in the uncertainty gripped by the things of this world. Now I see what I didn’t see before! Good day and good work”.
The Carabiniere’s prayer and the gift of a painting
After the reports, the Army lieutenant, Raiano, recited the prayer of the policeman. Following, the musical intervention with the singing of the Akedà by Alessandro Labate, Ismaele and Simone Cannizzaro. Finally, the giftby the “Alessandro Caracciolo” association of a Square depicting some moments of Alessandro’s life, created by the artist Francesco Lia and which will be exhibited at Palazzo San Giorgio.
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