On Tuesday 2 July at 9.00 pm, in the park of the school of San Martino in Strada, viale dell’Appennino 496, Forlì, an evening dedicated to the territory of the hamlet, to the stories that have characterized it and to the current reality, will take place, with particular reference to flood of May 2023. During the evening, speakers will include Daniela Cortesi, coordinator of the Neighborhood Committee, Riccardo Helg, teacher and secretary of Italia Nostra – Forlì Section, Dalila Nervegna, member of the Neighborhood Committee, Tiziana Catani, photographer, Dervis Castellucci , photographer, Gabriele Zelli, local history enthusiast.
Part of the meeting will be dedicated to the screening of films made as part of the project promoted by Italia Nostra “Educating about landscapes. Paths of knowledge of the territory” and of the laboratory paths that involved the students of the Comprehensive Institute n.8. An important moment of the evening will be the one dedicated to the two photographers Dervis Castellucci and Tiziana Catani who will present two video projections. The first, entitled “It was May 16, 2023…”, contains images taken in the hours following the devastating flood of a year ago, while the second compares the situation in some places after the floods with the current one.
Gabriele Zelli will tell two stories regarding San Martino in Strada linked to the presence of the Rabbi river and the Ravaldino canal. The first dates back to October 1431 when, after days of violent rain, the flood of the river destroyed the lock that allowed the water to flow into the canal and consequently to operate the numerous mills that had settled there along the way. Similarly, the Ferragano lock, which carried water into the Romiti canal, was overwhelmed by the Montone river.
Within a short time it was understood that the situation had to be addressed with the utmost emergency, because within a couple of days the city would find itself without bread with all the consequences of the case. A public tender was issued to assign the work, but none of the most expert carpenters showed up because they judged it impossible to restore water to the city in those conditions. Then two young men, Sante and Fabrino, came forward and, despite having very little confidence in their abilities, succeeded in the attempt. And in San Martino in Strada they are remembered by having a street in the neighborhood named after them.
The second story dates back to the 1880s when the Romagna Tramways Society began organizing Sunday rides to take citizens of the city center to Ronco Lido, where the Forlì-Meldola tramway passed. This happened to the detriment of San Martino in Strada where previously the inhabitants of the historic center went by their own means to swim in the Ravaldino canal and sunbathe. Consequently, there were protests from those who managed the taverns or other public establishments who saw a tangible decrease in their earnings to the advantage of those of Ronco.
The evening is organized by the San Martino in Strada District, by the IC8 “Camelia Matatia” Parents Association, with the collaboration of Italia Nostra – Forlì Section.
Free admission.
