The whistle of an old steam locomotive started the maiden voyage of the historic train from Florence to Ravenna dedicated to Dante Alighieri, on the 700th anniversary of his death, with the Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini on board.
Starting from platform 16 of the Florentine station of Santa Maria Novella, the convoy runs on the historic Faenza railway line, crossing the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, and connects the city that gave birth to the Supreme Poet with the one that houses his mortal remains.
The 'Dante's train' will be active on weekends from July to October. Today an extraordinary stop in Marradi (Florence) for the concert of the 'Luigi Cherubini' Orchestra conducted by Maestro Riccardo Muti for the reopening of the historic academic theater of the Animosi, built between the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. "The departure of this train is another step towards the return to normality - said Franceschini -. Furthermore, the fact that it is a historic train reaffirms the commitment of the Ministry of Culture in the recovery of the extraordinary heritage kept by the Fondazione Ferrovie dello State, made up of vintage trains and railway routes through extraordinary landscapes ".
For Franceschini "this trip symbolically aims to relaunch this investment, which also found important resources in the recovery fund", equal to 435 million euros, "for the recovery of historic railways". Furthermore, the minister underlined, "this is the first public presentation time in the presence of Dante's year. There are hundreds of events that will remember Dante in 2021, both in Italy and abroad". And many, he observed, "are the spontaneous initiatives that are joining those promoted by the Committee, testifying what Dante means for the country". "Culture has gone through, like the whole country, terrible moments, a real desert - he said again -. Now it is starting again. There is a great desire in Italy for culture,to experience the country. We all understood what Italy is with cinemas, closed theaters and without concerts in the streets and squares. Now they will come back ". Upon leaving the theater, Muti observed that" if we really want to start again with culture, it is time to reopen the theaters in small towns, and above all to entrust them to young people. We must give young people the opportunity to express themselves. This is said by someone who is no longer young but when I was I had the opportunity to express myself. Today this is no longer the case ".and above all to entrust them to young people. We must give young people the opportunity to express themselves. This is said by someone who is no longer young but when I was I had the opportunity to express myself. Today this is no longer the case ".and above all to entrust them to young people. We must give young people the opportunity to express themselves. This is said by someone who is no longer young but when I was I had the opportunity to express myself. Today this is no longer the case ".
"There is an extraordinary Italy - Franceschini said at the end of the concert -, made up of young people from the conservatory, talents, theaters like this one, local communities, and this beautiful restored theater is proof that great culture can be achieved. and great music everywhere. Our duty is to help young talents grow. " On board the historic train today there were also the mayor of Florence Dario Nardella, the president of the Tuscany Region Eugenio Giani, the director of the Uffizi Eike Schmidt, and the Emilia-Romagna tourism councilor Andrea Corsini.
