As part of the initiatives aimed at celebrating the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the Guardia di Finanza, an extraordinary exhibition began at the HUB Fondazione Sistema Irpinia in Palazzo Caracciolo in Avellino. The event, sponsored by the Province of Avellino and the City of Avellino, was inaugurated by the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza of Avellino. The exhibition, entitled “250 Years – Tradition and Future”, offers visitors a fascinating immersive journey that traces the rich history of the Institution. Through the display of historical uniforms, images and videos, one can relive the most significant aspects, moments and events that contributed to forging the tradition of the Guardia di Finanza, creating a solid foundation for its future.
“The financiers are part of my family”, declared the Prefect of Avellino, Rossana Reflex. “We work very well together, even historically, because there is a common area, that of the committee, in which we make decisions regarding the control of the territory and aspects of public order and safety. They are part of the family, they have skills specific and contribute to the general skills of others. Therefore, it is an act that I carry out with great pleasure and with love for the Guardia di Finanza, which carries out these very important tasks for our community”.
To further delve into the history of the Guardia di Finanza, this morning, in the splendid setting of the Cloister of Palazzo Caracciolo in Piazza Libertà, an event dedicated to the historical evolution of the Corps will be held. The retired General of the Division, Nicola Di Guglielmo, and Colonel (Aus) Gerardo Severino, former Director of the Historical Museum of the Guardia di Finanza, will present a detailed story, introduced by the Avellino Provincial Commander of the Guardia di Finanza, Colonel Salvatore Minale.
“I was not on the front lines during the 1980 earthquake because I was in command of the Trento legion. The vice-questor of Trento, who was from Sant’Andrea di Conza, called me and told me to go to Sant’Andrea. “You can go, but I cannot move without orders from the general command,” I replied. He was very happy to provide me with a medical helicopter and a team of avalanche dogs. It seems that one of these dogs found the last woman alive in Lioni,” declared the General Di Guglielmo. “I will tell young people that the Guardia di Finanza was different. Just think about this: here in Avellino there was a company command, a captain. When I enlisted there, the Avellino group was established in 1959 because it depended as a company on the Benevento group, which had greater economic and tax importance, as it had huge tobacco plantations. The tobacco was called Beneventana. I was proud to wear this uniform because my father was a municipal guard. So you can imagine: having achieved this rank in the auxiliary, not in the fully effective service of major general, was a great honor for me. At the time we only had a major general. We had another Irpinian, a great Irpinian, General Antonio Papaleo of Lacedonia and I believe that next September we will remember him in Lacedonia. I, on the other hand, am 96 years old and will be 7 months old tomorrow. How many years did he serve the state? For 40 years, and I will continue for cultural institutions.”
The exhibition will be open to the public from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM on June 25 and 26, 2024, with free admission, thus offering everyone the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the history and traditions of one of the most important institutions in our country.
