A bouquet of white roses, partially covered by the toga that delicately ’embraces’ the coffin. In the Cathedral of Foggia, the citizens gave their last farewell to the lawyer, the Honorable Paolo Agostinacchio, the first mayor of Foggia elected directly by the people, as well as the longest-serving (nine years).
“The mayor of everyone”, as Mayor Episcopo defined him in her funeral eulogy: “He distinguished himself in the legal profession, he was able to gain consideration and respect in parliamentary activity, he was able to embody with his personality and his charisma the reform that led to the direct election of mayors”.
A personality that allowed him to “ferry” the municipal administration from the First to the Second Republic, “without ever shirking his responsibilities, nor ever failing to engage in fair dealings with political adversaries, even without questioning his identity and position politics”.
A mayor who deeply loved his city, trying to restore its urban decorum and a leading role. In extolling Agostinacchio’s human qualities, Mayor Episcopo also recalled his tears and pain in pavilion 71 of the Ente Fiera, which welcomed the 67 coffins of the victims of the Viale Giotto rollover: “Those were our tears.”
“The homage paid to him in the last hours, the participation in this ceremony are spontaneous and touching. They go far beyond memberships and alignments. And it is the most beautiful and sincere way to be close to his family, his friends, to thank the Honorable Agostinacchio for what he has done for this city, for his teachings, his rigor, for having been a precious reference for a vast community”, added the mayor.
