It was presented this afternoon 91st CSIO of Piazza di Siena – Master D’Inzeoin program a Villa Borghese, in the heart of Rome, from 22 to 26 May. The presentation press conference was attended by, among others, the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, the Fise President, Marco Di Paola, the President of Sport and Health, Marco Mezzaroma, the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, the ‘Councillor for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion of Rome Capital, Alessandro Onorato, the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, Claudio Barbaro, and the Councilor for Tourism, Environment, Sport, Climate Change, Energy Transition , Sustainability of the Lazio Region, Elena Palazzo. Also present was the CEO of Sport and Health, Diego Nepi Molineris.
“The time has come for something more ambitious, which allows Villa Borghese to have daily management, a participatory foundation that could be an excellence in the world. I offer our collaboration, in the hope that this dream can be consecrated The Competition takes place within a green lung and a container of opportunities such as Villa Borghese, among the most fascinating in the world. The one between man and horse is not only a sporting combination, but also between living beings”, declares the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi.
A team effort, therefore, to take care of Villa Borghese, before, during and after the event. “’Sport e Salute with Fise has the honor of taking care of this magical place. We maintain this site and the surrounding areas, taking care of a piece of the city: it is something that makes us proud’ – underlines the President of Sport and Health, Marco Mezzaroma -. I thank all the boys and girls of Sport and Health and Fise for the work done. This place has been transformed and further improved. The level reached this year is of absolute quality. I would also like to underline that we have started a collaboration with the Ministry of Health to promote and launch an awareness campaign on issues such as prevention, blood donation and horse welfare and its beneficial effects on human health as well”. Over the years, the appeal of Piazza di Siena in Italy and abroad has gradually increased: “The adventure began with many prejudices on the part of various institutions – added the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò -. It was believed that this place could lose its beauty and historical connotation. Facts and years have shown how everyone has benefited from it.”
There is historicity, but there is obviously also sporting competition, two months before the Olympic event. Between the Oval and the Galloppatoio of Villa Borghese – where the Roman stage of the Italia Polo Challenge will also take place – there will be the present (with riders and riders from all over the world), but also the future of horse riding, “to offer a complete vision of the horse – as explained by the President of FISE, Marco Di Paola –, who only in Italy is recognized as an athlete within the legal system”.
The Oval of Villa Borghese, of a shining green colour, can only recall another very famous green in the world of sport, that of the All England Club. “Piazza di Siena is a bit like the Wimbledon of equestrian sports, in terms of beauty, complexity and for the presence of many athletes – the words of the Sports Councilor of the Municipality of Rome, Alessandro Onorato –. And it is the emblem of how everyone’s collaboration leads to the enjoyment of a good that until recently was not as we see it today. And the interventions will continue.” Thanks to Roma Capitale, but also thanks to the Lazio Region, as assured by the Councilor for Tourism, Environment and Sport, Elena Palazzo: “With the contribution of the institutions we are starting to do teamwork, and this is not something to be taken for granted. But I like to underline the beauty of all this: a zero impact event, which has the characteristic of being immersed in the utmost respect for an iconic place like Villa Borghese”.
Piazza di Siena will also be “a model of sporting sustainability”, as underlined by the Undersecretary for the Environment and Energy Security, Claudio Barbarobut also the opportunity to launch – among others – a project between FISE and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry for the recovery of horses at the end of their career, as announced by the Director General of the Directorate General for Horse Racing of MASAF Remo Chiodi.