An amendment inserted in the passage in the Senate of the decree law that further extended the national state of emergency to March 31, 2022 – the provision was then converted with amendments into law 11/2022 – was enough to ensure that, after the red of the moments more complex than the Covid pandemic, the green light would go off in the white zone for the great popular festivals and cultural events of considerable interest, even when they take place in an itinerant and dynamic way. The amendment proposal, presented by a Northern League senator, marked a tear in the majority, as it passed despite the contrary opinion of the Government.
From Santa Rosalia, to the Palio of Siena
Here then, after two years of stop due to the pandemic, the organization of national events has already begun such as the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio, the procession of Santa Rosalia in Palermo, the Palio of Siena or the Machine of Santa Rose of Viterbo. The modification proposal was presented by Luca Briziarelli. Perugino, the senator of the Lega stressed that “the amendment will have a very important impact in Umbria because it will concern not only the Ceri of Gubbio, but also the Corpus Domini of Orvieto, the Good Friday procession in Cascia, the Quintana of Foligno and many other important events in our region as well as in the rest of Italy such as the Palio di Siena. These events, from north to south, are the heart and soul of our history and our traditions and – he added – represent one of the aspects that make Italy unique and also have a strong tourist attraction ».
It starts again on May 15th with the Festa dei Ceri
Under the new rules, the organizers produce to the competent authority to authorize the event the documentation certifying the measures taken to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus infection. The first major event to start again will be the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio on May 15, which has been held since 1160 in honor of the patron saint of the city, Sant’Ubaldo. The security plan has already been delivered to the prefect and the police commissioner of Perugia and to the president of the Umbria Region, Donatella Tesei. Based on the different scenarios related to the evolution of the Covid pandemic, a series of logistical solutions are indicated to celebrate the Gubbio Festival.
In the summer the return of the Palio to Siena
Siena, after two years of absence, the summer of 2022 will be marked by the return of the Palio. The organizational machine has already been set in motion and the provincial committee for public order and safety has already met in the Prefecture to take stock. The Provincial Administration, the mayor Luigi De Mossi and the provincial leaders of the police and firefighters took part in the meeting, which took place in recent days. During the meeting, the prefect asked for “knowledge of the state of the art both with reference to the technical insights of the provincial technical commission for the supervision of public entertainment venues and with reference to the decisions made by the mayor, in agreement with the Contrade, with regard to the execution of the 2022 Palios, taking into account that to restart the organizational machine – which has been stopped for about two years due to the health emergency from Covid-19 – an adequate period of time is required to allow all the institutional components involved , to perform their functions in the best possible way “. “The Palio is an event that sees the enthusiastic participation of the Contradas and many tourists – said the prefect Maria Forte – It is therefore necessary to immediately implement every useful synergy aimed at preparing the necessary organizational measures in a timely manner”. The meeting in the Prefecture ended with the hope that the health evolution will allow in the future weeks a more defined vision of the pandemic emergency and consequently favor the decision-making processes connected to the carrying out of the Palios on 2 July and 16 August, essential for the ‘start of the complex machinery of order and public safety. For the Sienese the countdown has begun: soon they will be able to return to Piazza del Campo, each one cheering on the horse of their own contrada.