Unusual cold and rain dominate above St. Paul. The autumn Brazilian – which begins in March – has recently arrived and the cold currents have also taken over the largest city in South America. Until a few days before the climates were still summery and sultry: the real 34.7 degrees experienced the previous Saturday, then on Sunday the crazy 62.3 degrees perceived in Rio de Janeiro. In the “Milanese” style San Paolo, that one of tall skyscrapers and rich businessmen mix with homeless sitting on the benches of the central Praça da Sé, a stone’s throw from the Cathedral, two people take an Ubergreeted by a man in his forties and the Italian name: Antonio. She has long, straight hair and an unmistakable rock style. She turns towards the tourists asking where to go, the only words in response are: “To the Morumby cemetery, please”.
A connection stronger than years
Ayrton Senna lives in the thoughts of many, even 30 years after his death on May 1, 1994, so much so that he was nominated last year «Patron Saint of Sport» Brazilian. Even today many visit his tomb, looking for a moment of “mental” connection. This is exactly what the two tourists sitting inside the gray Volkswagen Voyage want, which in the meantime leaves the city center and passes through the Marginal Pinheiros, the large street that extends along the side of the river of the same name. She is busy slaloming between cars, stuck in one of the typical endless queues of Sao Paulo. From the tower blocks of the city centre, the landscape towards Morumbi blurs between large green parks, favelas of houses with open roofs and villas with swimming pools and luxurious condominiums, but protected by walls high and electrified anti-invasion fences. The district is precisely the upper middle class city neighborhood, where the St. Paul and there is the Palácio dos Bandeirantes, the seat of the State Governor Tarcísio de Freitas.
«Nothing can separate me from the love of God»
Meanwhile the taxi has arrived, goes down a slope and passes a block of security personnel: it is inside the graveyard. The place where Senna is buried is a real one garden American style, beautiful to rest after death. Green meadows are interrupted by trees and flowers, surrounding a large silence. There is no headstone at Morumby, just a series of plaques placed in the grass. A stone’s throw from that place, there favela of «Paraisópolis», among the largest in Brazil, is hidden among the skyscrapers of rich entrepreneurs. Meanwhile the cleaners, dressed in a green suit «British» with the shades of an Aston Martin, they are cutting with a grass trimmer some portions of grass. A protective net falls under their hats: they look like beekeepers about to take honey from a hive. To the question «Where is it located The tomb Of Ayrton?”, one of them replies: “Near that little tree». «Magic» has rested on top of a hill, precisely since 5 May 1994. On the small copper plaque, number 0011, we can read the written note «Nothing can separate me from the love of God», indicating his strong bond with the wedding ring Christian. Two sunflowerswithered, seem to look at her, so does a small one statue of Jesus and a model of a kart, the vehicle where Senna grew up before moving on to single-seaters and becoming three-time F1 Champion. A small purple flower, detached from the stem, flew over the plaque.
Ayrton, the man «who touches hearts like the Seleção»
Meanwhile, above São Paulo, he began to rain heavily. Despite everything, the two fans don’t think of leaving immediately. A couple of snaps photo, then they get lost in thought under their umbrellas. The stress due to the hour-long journey on the road, among reckless drivers, horns and a whirlwind of traffic and slums, turned into a long silence of reflection. Antônio, in the meantime, preferred to give up an additional ride to accompany tourists to the tomb of the sportsman he enjoyed on TV as a child. In front of the marble plaque, he takes his own smartphones and puts the “Victory Hymn”, the song that Brazilians listened to when Ayrton won F1 GPs. Then he says a few words: «Seeing Senna race on TV it was a bit like supporting the “Seleção” (the Brazilian national football team, ed.), there was the same spirit in all of us. Ayrton was able to touch our hearts.” Meanwhile, 6pm has quickly struck and it is slowly waning the darkness, the guardians point out that they have to close. Antônio and the two F1 enthusiasts return to the car in silence. Ayrton yes, he was able to touch their hearts this time too.
