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Festa della Repubblica
- June 2nd -
A day for Italian
pride |
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In 2005 the Festa della Repubblica
was celebrated in Cagli for only the fourth time, but the celebration
of the birth of the republic of Italy has always had an impact on
the residents of the small hillside village.
“There are moments during the Festa when I feel national pride,”
said Luana Santi, a shopkeeper in Cagli, “like during the
raising of the flag or the playing of the national anthem.”
The Festa della Repubblica takes place all across Italy to celebrate
founding the Italian Republic in 1946. In Cagli, the townspeople
gather on the main piazza, Piazza Matteotti, and take part in the
festivities, which include a procession of officials and flags,
a marching band, a speech by Mayor Domenico Papi, and a release
of green, red and white balloons by the schoolchildren present at
the ceremony.
“This is the fourth year since the region decided Cagli had
to be the main place for the celebration,” said Papi. “Since
the beginning Cagli has always responded in a positive way.”
The piazza was cleared of the cars that normally occupy the space
surrounding the fountain as the citizens of Cagli stood off to the
side. Children walked and played, while some were carried red, green
and white balloons, to be used later in the ceremony.
“It’s a good thing the Festa has been established as
a national holiday on the second of June because the fact that Italy
is a republic is very important and should be underlined,”
said Massimo Ciabocchi, the head of the civil protection force or
protezione civile.
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| “It’s
a good thing the Festa has been established as a national
holiday on the second of June because the fact that Italy
is a republic is very important and should be underlined.” |
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Originally, Italy had been unified as a kingdom in 1861, without
Venice and Rome. Venice and Rome were included in 1871, with Rome
as the capital, and the entire peninsula became a united nation.
After World War II, the Italian people were given the opportunity
to vote whether they wished to be a kingdom with a monarchy or a
republic with an elected government. On June 2, 1946, the Italian
people voted in favor of a democratic Italian republic.
The celebration of this event in Cagli begins with a procession
into the piazza, which has seven Italian flags hanging in it: three
from City Hall and another, the largest, hanging from the platform
from which the mayor makes his speech. The marching band in their
blue suit jackets leads the procession followed by the mayor of
Cagli and mayors from Acqualagna, Cantiano and Piobbico.
Numerous uniformed forces were represented in the ceremony as well,
lining the square in front of City Hall.
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“Every corps participates in the ceremony,” Papi
said. “The firemen, the carabinieri, the traffic police,
the Red Cross, and the protezione civile. All the military
corps were represented significantly and I thank them as I did
in my speech.”
After everyone marched in, the Italian flag was raised as the
marching band played the Italian national anthem.
“We’re here to celebrate the second of June, and we’re
here to renew the democratic treaty and to remember everyone who
has fought for freedom and given their lives for it as well,”
Papi told the crowd. “These people always have to be in
our memories as those who brought these values to us, and we must
preserve these values through the youth…Viva le Repubblica,
viva L’Italia!”
After his speech, the schoolchildren released their balloons
into the sky, representing the freedom Italy experiences existing
as a republic.
“The important thing is being there,” said the shopkeeper
Santi. “That’s what it’s all about.”
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Story
by Jacque Bailey - Photos by Omar Alfonso - Video by Joanna Walsh
- Web Design by Caitlyn Slivinski |
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