Stronger Than Darkness: Marco Bottardi’s Book Presentation in Desenzano

“Più forte del buio Desenzano” is the title of an event scheduled for Monday, 7 September 2026 at 8:30 pm at the Cloister of S. Maria de Senioribus in the Civic Archaeological Museum “G. Rambotti” in Desenzano del Garda. Marco Bottardi will present his second book through music, staged readings and monologues. The evening is held with the patronage of the City of Desenzano del Garda and will take place in a fully accessible venue.

The initiative is rooted in Bottardi’s personal experience after a motorcycle accident on 19 April 2010, which left him with three fractured vertebrae and a spinal cord injury. His book focuses on the “after,” including anger, adapting to a changed body and rebuilding identity, which later led to a long-term commitment to improving accessibility in public spaces, services and tourist facilities. Between 2012 and 2015 he worked on removing barriers at the Desenzano train station, and in 2013 he helped launch the D284 project “PARAdiso” for para-sailing with Fraglia Vela Desenzano; in 2015 he also contributed to bringing the Meeting del Garda (Italian Handbike Championship) to the area and to developing an accessible beach at the Rivoltella port.

Bottardi’s work continued through Zero Barriere ODV (founded in 2019) and World4All (co-founded in 2022), with educational projects reaching over 80 schools and 1,500 students, and training for inclusive hospitality involving more than 50 organizations and over 800 professionals. The presentation will run in five acts, with greetings from Mayor Guido Malinverno and interventions by Gianpietro Ghidini (president of the Ema PesciolinoRosso Foundation), accompanied by narrations from Margherita Frigo and Barbara Papa, live music and monologues. Admission includes a minimum voluntary donation of €20, and the first edition of the book will be given to attendees.
Italian Version