President Ciampi Highlights the Importance of Risorgimento in Education and Heritage

The appeal made by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, launched on Sunday from the park of the Risorgimento Museum of San Martino della Battaglia, stating that “the tricolour should be kept in every Italian household,” garnered widespread attention in both national and international press.

A strong, unequivocal message, praised by the thousand people who gathered on November 4th in the historic hamlet of Desenzano. But another appeal in the President’s speech also left a mark.

That was the call to young students to read “the history of those days of our Risorgimento, the roots of our unity and the values we have reclaimed”.

School level and historical itineraries

We saw many students, accompanied by their teachers. It is very likely that, after Carlo Azeglio Ciampi‘s historic visit to Solferino and San Martino, there could be a renewed interest by schools to include the Risorgimento site, with the Ossuary, the Tower, and the Museum, three places rich in history, memories, and testimonies, in their study trip itineraries.

Parliamentarian Stefano Saglia of Alleanza Nazionale and Maria Ida Germontani, president of the Desenzano City Council, say: “From President Ciampi’s speech, a clear and tangible signal should be drawn, especially for educational institutions: to bring civics education and pages of our Risorgimento history back to school.”

“In the sense that — as the two politicians, among others, who attended last Sunday’s celebrations, point out — school leaders and teachers should take up these themes again, with persuasive efforts directed at students.”

The situation of museums and school visits

In fact, for several years now, the Society of Solferino and San Martino, led with great passion and expertise by President Fausto Fondrieschi and the fifteen members of the board of directors, has had to contend with a subtle decline in visitors, especially among school groups.

In 2000, for example, the number of visitors was just under 36,000. A small David versus Goliath situation, considering Gardaland, which sells at least 2 million tickets annually.

An even more unsettling data: foreign visitors (Germans, Austrians, French) outnumber Italians, who are few in comparison.

If we examine the preferred routes for school trips, they include the Scaligero Castle of Sirmione, the Roman Villa of Desenzano, and the Vittoriale of Gardone Riviera.

Sure, these are grand architectural monuments with historical significance, but they are never of the same stature as Solferino (where the International Red Cross was born) and San Martino della Battaglia.

Likewise, Fondrieschi, as he recalled in his greeting message to Ciampi, celebrated this year the 130th anniversary of the museum’s founding.

The memory of President Ciampi

An last detail: President Ciampi was asked to sign a scroll as a memento of the event.

Before him, only one other Head of State had signed such a document: Vittorio Emanuele II, the king who led Italy to unification.

The two historic scrolls are now kept in the Risorgimento Museum.