Napolitano, historic visit: “Varese is a very civilized city”

Crowds of people acclaiming, waving the Italian flag and singing the national anthem. The President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano liked our Varese very much, defining it, at the University of Insubria, as a “very civilized and graceful” city and thanking it “for the favourable welcome.” For the city it has been a full day, beginning at 11:35 a.m., when thousands of people, full of Italian flags, exploded in joyful applause when the Head of State’s demonstration arrived. Napolitano got out of the car to give his regards to people, while in via Sacco, buildings were covered with waving flags and many people were singing the Mameli anthem. The sight was striking and thrilling.

The President of the Republic is the strongest political and moral authority of the country and even city councillors were moved during the meeting in the wedding room. Napolitano visited the exhibition about Risorgimento relics, in which there were also pieces brought by town secretary Filippo Ciminelli, Bourbon testimonies collector. In the palace, mayor Fontana talked for some minutes, emphasizing the value of local authorities and also the difficulties against which they fight. There was also a curious curtain: Pdci councillor Pippo Pitarresi went close to the Head of State, telling him that he is communist. “Again?” Ironically rebuked the President’s Palace. Napolitano listened to school children singing and chatted with mayor Fontana in the park. “He was struck by the similarity to Vienna’s one” explains the mayor “and he told me that he was struck by the beauty of the gardens.”

Outside Estense Palace, a small but hardened group of protesters called out at mayor Fontana and members of the “Lega Nord” ( there were vice-president Rosi Mauro, regional council President Davide Boni.) Also Rocco Buttiglione was whistled at (he represented the Chamber of Deputies) but Udc politician met them and calmed them down.

The mayor got rid of the protests with few words: “They were a few easily convinced fools, someone sent them.”

Instead the lunch in Prefecture has been more private: there were about twenty guests, under the direction of prefect Simonetta Vaccari, the menu from a restaurant in Mustonate and moderate white, green and pink floral decorations. It was an important break, also to let the President relax, considering that he is 86 years old and he has been travelling for 5 days in Turin, Milan and Varese.

At the University of Insubria the Head of State gave a really forceful, off-the-cuff address, mentioning Carlo Cattaneo, the constituents, the State reform, the federalist future, autonomies values.

Rector Renzo Dionigi received him, mentioning funds problem: “Only a timely and adequate financing allows the presence of public universities in civil tissue” he said. The President really enjoyed himself listening to professor Antonio Maria Orecchia’s presentation, Insubria contemporary history teacher, who spoke about Varese Risorgimento features.

During the meeting there was also the Minister of Interior Roberto Maroni.

Napolitano who emphasized that the birth of the Country was clearly marked by a strong centralism, if we refer to ancient conditions. “It wasn’t an idyll history, but also an history of difficult and contradictory choices” he emphasized “and today we must adjust those weaknesses and inadequacies in the State.” The President was very determined in exhorting the Parliament to conduct a coherent and well-done improvement of the federal autonomies, from a federal federalism view, as well as saying to be very interested in the improvement of perfect bicameralism. He almost did not mentioned the difficult choices concerning the Libya situation and only praised the organized action on the refugees emergency, carried out by minister Maroni: “I appreciate your job, it’s the only thing that can be done.”

The meeting with the Economics force at the Chamber of Commerce has also been very important. Napolitano answered all the questions asked: never trivial and always precise until his exit among the people who have been waiting for him in Piazza Monte Grappa since 4 p.m. and who accompanied him until 8 p.m.

At the end of the day, the mayor Attilio Fontana was pleased: “It has been a very nice experience” he said “the President is an extraordinary person with a very high cultural background. He had already been in the city when Guttuso was living there and he still remembers the Maestro Villa. I appreciated him very much. It was a very nice day for all of our people.”