Ivrea
San Silvestro tinged with melancholy on the right bank of the Dora Baltea: on Saturday morning the great world of the Carnival of Ivrea and the microcosm of Borghetto met in the parish church of San Grato to pay their last respects to Walter Garetto, Ban emeritus of Croatia, disappeared suddenly last Friday.
Walter Garetto, who was 91 years old, had been confined to the house for some time by walking problems, but his mind remained clear up to the end, as evidenced by the many friends who have gone to him in recent days, always finding his smile, his availability and his friendliness.
He leaves behind his son Luigi and nieces Cristina and Anna. Eporediese by birth, Garetto (who spent his working life in Olivetti) had arrived in Borghetto after his marriage: his wife Ernesta, who died a few years ago, was from the district and there Walter found his ideal dimension: in 1963 he joined to be part of the Croatia Committee, which every Ash Wednesday organizes the traditional Polenta and Cod, the final act of the Carnival, and his role was decisive in the years immediately following for the birth and definition of the Tuchini del Borghetto: he was the trait d’union between the young orange throwers and the Committee, in the person of the Bano of the time, Francesco Mondino and Mario Piatti. Thanks to him the newborn Tuchini were allowed to use the black crow, emblem of the district, as a symbol and to be the official representatives of the Borghetto in the Battle.
From 1986, after the death of Francesco Bonafide, Mondino’s successor, Garetto took over the reins of the Committee and the role of Bano, who announced his intention to leave in 2016, when his health conditions no longer allowed him to take the thousands of steps which for years has traveled from the house in via Gozzano to vicolo del Forno, headquarters of the committee and piazza Lamarmora, place of distribution of the succulent Lenten dish.
In 2018 the baton was handed over to Giuseppe Saccuman, the current Bano, who remembers his predecessor with lapidary words: «An era ended with Walter, he really made the history of Borghetto».
Even Don Giuseppe Duretto, parish priest of the district, fondly recalled Walter Garetto: «He was a friend. Mine and everyone’s, because he had the rare ability to weave around himself a network of relationships between people who have always appreciated his human qualities, those that everyone recognized in him: passion, style, kindness and respect. He was a pillar of Borghetto and of the history of our district ».
The words spoken by Claudio Specola, who brought the greetings of the Committee of Crazia to the funeral, and by Salvatore Violante, historic president of the Tuchinis, do not differ from this register: «We are filled with pain, but also with many beautiful memories – he said Specola -: his blue apron, interwoven with stories and anecdotes, will continue to be with us, exactly as when he supervised all stages of the processing of our dish».
Salvatore Violante wanted to project Walter Garetto’s teachings into the future: «Already in 1964 he supported those kids who “just wanted to throw oranges”, realizing that the future lay in young people. Today many old Tuchini are in the Croatian committee and even among the younger ones there are those who approach this reality». «If Borghetto today is more alive than ever – concludes Violante – it is thanks to those who, like Walter, have always trusted young people».