Gasparo Award for Doctor Gasparotti’s Volunteer Service in Salò
In 2001, the “Gasparo” award, named after the inventor of the violin, was presented to Dr. Angelo Gasparotti during a crowded ceremony held in the council chamber of the Palazzo Comunale in Salò. “In the year of volunteering, we thought it appropriate to award this honor to a doctor who distinguished himself through his commitment and dedication to the elderly, the sick, and those in need,” explained Mayor Giampiero Cipani. Graduating in 1957 in Parma, Gasparotti worked at the Brescia hospital (his hometown) for several months, then became an assistant in Salò, where he remained in service until 1992. As a chief physician, he directed the medicine department for two years, also serving as the medical director. He focused, as an internist, on metabolic diseases, particularly diabetes mellitus. In 1968, he specialized in Geriatrics, becoming the medical director of the retirement home, a position he held from 1978 to 1992. He now maintains the title of consultant both in Salò and at Casa Bravi in S. Michele di Gardone Riviera. For a period, he also led the Gargnano hospitalization. He collaborated with the Institute of Psychology at the University of Milan and Brescia. He is among the founders of the volunteer group “Solidarietà salodiana”.
Dedication and Recognitions
“A life dedicated to others,” emphasized the mayor. “Doctor Gasparotti played a fundamental role within the social center and in leading the Solidarietà salodiana group, an irreplaceable entity. The public institution, in fact, lacks the structures and resources to develop the kind of work carried out by volunteers.”
“I met Gasparotti in 1975, and he immediately became an exceptional professional reference,” said Maurizio De Giuli, the Health assessor, who is also a doctor. “We worked together in reorganizing the retirement home. Angelo has always taken on the most vulnerable individuals, never seeking success. All under the motto: frequent care, occasional cure, always console.” Words of thanks also came from Dr. Giancarlo Raggi, on behalf of the Solidarietà group.
The award presentation (a statuette reproducing Gasparo’s bust, the same that Vittorio Sgarbi wanted to buy in recent months) was accompanied by a very long applause. “I didn’t expect this much,” said Gasparotti, visibly moved. And yet, another round of applause erupted.
Speeches and Reflections
“I thank everyone,” he continued. “I am particularly attached to this community. In the hospital, I encountered physical suffering and that of the spirit. At the retirement home, we tried to give dignity and comfort to those aging. We transformed it into a socio-health service center: a bridge across the territory. Volunteering means taking on the burdens of life, based on the principles of solidarity. We have become the permanent advocates for the elderly, who often lose their role in society and sometimes their family ties.”
“We tried to establish a connection, in a kind of reciprocal exchange, integrating our work with that of the institutions.” Applause, flashes, and teary eyes followed.
