Caldes (Trento), 12 April 2023 – “We are here all a little shocked. Our tears mingle with those of the family”, said the Caldes parish priest, Don Renato Pellegrini, at the funeral of Andrea Papi (photo)the 26-year-old runner, former student in Motor Sciences a Unife, died attacked by the bear Jj4 last April 5th. “We accompany Andrea on his last journey. Andrea will live in our hearts in our memories,” said Don Pellegrini. The bells of the churches in the valley have been tolled. “These are days of suffering, fear and even anger, but I am convinced that this community will be able to find hope”, added the parish priest.
They are three thousand people came from all over the Val di Sole (the 13 Municipalities are now in mourning for the city) and from nearby Val di Non to bring a last farewell to the young man. Before the start of the funeral ceremony a long line it was created in the courtyard, full of flowers, of the church of Caldes. Inside, only the young man’s closest family and friends. Mother Franca, father Carlo, sister Laura and fiancée Alessia sat in the first pews. Outside all other people for whom loudspeakers have been set up.
“Today the nights are very long for us, nights full of memoriesof nostalgia, nights of anger towards those who have not acted before. Anger because it could have been avoided and now there is no going back,” she said during the funeral ceremony, Charles Papi. His speech was welcomed by a long round of applause. “But we are not the only ones not being able to sleep: whoever is responsible for all of this cannot sleep peacefully. Andrea help us find forgiveness within ourselves, towards those who are unable to humbly apologize for their work and for the unacceptable wickedness at this moment. This forgiveness is too big for us,” she added.
The president of the Province of Trento also expressed closeness to the family, Maurizio Fugatti, the provincial councilor Giulia Zanotelli, the mayor of Caldes, Antonio Maini and the mayors of the Valle di Sole and of many municipalities in Trentino.
To allow the performance of the function, the police have closed part of the historic center of the town. A gazebo had been set up outside the church with a light blue panelwhere many have left condolence cards and paper hearts.
Messner: “Predictable tragedy”
Andrea Papi, identified the bear of the attack
Meanwhile, genetic tests were carried out yesterday to identify the bear that attacked Andrea Papi. The Prosecutor of Trento, through the voice of the chief prosecutor, Sandro Raimondi Raimondi explains that “a first result of the investigations of the genetic analyzes conducted on 10 finds of bear genotypes present in the provincial territory revealed that the genotype identified by the DNA obtained matches that of the bear named JJ4”.
| 11:28 | Lights in the windows in Val di Sole |
Today, on the occasion of the funeral, candles will be lit in the windows of the houses in Val di Sole to ask for the revision of the ‘Life Ursus’ project, the European strategy for the reintroduction of the brown bear in the Alps |
| 11:41 | The controversy after the tragedy |
The controversy following the tragic accident (including many animal welfare associations that oppose the decision to cull the bear) has opened the debate for the regulation necessary for coexistence with the specimens of bears that inhabit the woods of Trentino. |
| 11:44 | The Province had requested the killing of the bear JJ4 |
Jj4 the bear is 17 years old and is the son of Joze and Jurka from Slovenia. The Autonomous Province of Trento had asked for it to be demolished but the order had been canceled by the Tar. The provision was triggered because a year ago the bear had attacked a father and son on the slopes of Mount Peller. |
| 11:52 | During the funeral, the center of Caldes was closed |
During the runner’s funeral, which takes place at 3 pm, the viability of the area in front of the church will be closed to traffic to allow the funeral celebrations. Only relatives and friends will be able to enter inside, while loudspeakers will be set up outside to allow everyone to follow the function. |
| 12:51 | Lav wants to save the bear Jj4 |
The Anti-Vivisection League (Lav Italia) has proposed to take bear Jj4 to safety and reports that it has found a safe place to take her to avoid killing her. |
| 13:57 | Complaint of the Codacons against the Province and animal rights activists |
Codacons announces a complaint before the Public Prosecutor’s Office against the Autonomous Province of Trento and the animal welfare associations that have filed appeals with the TAR, “so that full responsibility for the incident is ascertained”. |
| 15:28 | Hundreds for the funeral of the runner killed by the bear |
About three thousand people came from all over the Sole valley and the nearby Non valley to pay a last farewell to Andrea Papi. Before the start of the funeral ceremony, a long line was created in the churchyard of the town of Caldes. |
| 15:43 | The parish priest at the funeral: “We are all shocked” |
“We’re all a little shocked here. Our tears mingle with those of the family. We entrust our commitment to the Lord so that such great and painful tragedies never happen again”, said the parish priest of Caldes, Don Renato Pellegrini, at the opening of the funeral of Andrea Papi. |
| 15:58 | Ringing of bells in the valley |
At the beginning of the funeral, the bells of the churches in the valley were tolled |
| 16:14 | “Saying goodbye to him after such an atrocious death is really difficult” |
“It is a painful moment for me too: it is not easy to bury a boy like Andrea, who was a light for his family, an enthusiastic presence in our community. He loved sport, he was attentive, sensitive, precise. Saying goodbye to him after such an atrocious death is really difficult”, said the parish priest of Caldes |
| 16:28 | White flowers and hiking boots on the coffin |
A cushion of white flowers, Andrea’s mountain shoes and a pair of sunglasses that he wore when he practiced sport: they were placed on the runner’s white coffin. |
| 17:17 | The runner’s father: “Anger towards those who have not acted before” |
“Today the nights are very long for us, nights full of memories, nostalgia, nights of anger towards those who have not acted before. Anger because it could have been avoided and now there is no going back,” said Carlo Papi, the runner’s father, during the funeral ceremony. His speech was greeted with applause. |