Telling a city undergoing renewal, which is everyone's heritage and has managed to transform a moment of crisis into an opportunity: the Celestinian Forgiveness of 2020 has made L'Aquila a laboratory of culture with its virtual embrace to the world of music, theater, of art in general, blocked by the health emergency.
And the choice to broadcast the highlights in live streaming made it possible to leave no one out.
Setting up suitable events to celebrate the 726th edition of the first jubilee in history, the one wanted by Pope Celestine V in 1294, with its civil program alongside the religious one, was a race against time.
"My pardons were characterized by local production - explains the master Leonardo De Amicis who in 2018 enthusiastically accepted the invitation to be artistic director for three years -. Despite all the necessary limitations this year, the third edition was in in line with the others and a proper closure of the three-year period. We mixed the arts in the 'theater of forgiveness', elaborating the principles of resilience and renewal in a contemporary key. Three years ago I agreed to direct the Perdonanza without any compensation, I did it to pay off a debt with the city that formed me. I love L'Aquila for better or for worse, I wanted to change forgiveness a little and I think I succeeded ".
The culture at the basis of the economic development of cities, insists De Amicis.
"For three years I have forced artists friends to come here for free or to reimburse expenses, convincing them not because L'Aquila is an earthquake city, but because it is necessary to bring out the beauty, the rebirth. Antonello Venditti said it well, 'this is a new city, let's tell it '".
"The restrictions have given us the opportunity to use new means" adds Deputy Mayor Raffaele Daniele, coordinator of the Forgiveness Committee.
"We don't want to talk about the earthquake anymore, but to show that the generosity we have benefited from in the past has been well placed, that L'Aquila is a welcoming city. Let's try to open it, it was famous because it is closed in the mountains, it must become famous as a city on the mountains".
The spirit of community is what pervades the Forgiveness of the last three years.
Massimo Alesii, spokesperson for the Forgiveness Committee and contact person for the community for the Unesco path that led to the recognition, in December 2019, as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity has no doubts.
"Let's look at the ethical aspect: the collection of concert tickets from previous years has been 'returned' through scholarships. For example, the students of the Casella Conservatory have been trained to face a different dimension, to work in training for orchestra to also accompany pop music, in these three years there has also been the inclusion of local choirs, realities assembled in specific shows for Perdonanza in the 'theater of forgiveness', conceived in terms of spectacularization of the restoration of Collemaggio. Aquilano I am proud that great names in the world of entertainment have shared this project for the Festa della Perdonanza - concludes Alesii -. Personally I accepted the job with honor, without any remuneration, I shared the enthusiasm with which the Unesco recognition then arrived, and I am pleased to have actively participated in a three-year project in which a new narration of the L'Aquila community has begun ".
In collaboration with:
Municipality of L'Aquila - Edition Committee 726 ^ Celestinian Forgiveness
