Aldo Cazzullo will receive the second edition of the Premio "Città di Torri del Benaco" on Sunday 20 September at 21:00, presented by Mayor Stefano Nicotra at the Molo De Paoli on the Veneto shore of Lake Garda. The ceremony will be moderated by journalist Elena Chemello. The event is free to attend, with reservation recommended.
Torri del Benaco, which was awarded the title of City by presidential decree in July 2025, will recognise Cazzullo for a sensitivity seen as closely aligned with the town’s identity. His focus on Francesco d'Assisi, presented again as a figure of Italian civic conscience in the book Francesco. Il primo italiano, is said to connect with local history. Cazzullo has also highlighted the importance of Lake Garda for Italian identity, describing it as one of the most beautiful places in Italy and the world and as a key component of both Italian and European identity.
The link between d'Assisi and Torri del Benaco is also rooted in local tradition, which attributes to Franciscan friars the introduction of lemon growing along the lake’s shores, long central to the area’s economy. The town has one of the oldest lemon groves on the lake, built against the walls of the Castello Scaligero, still operating continuously since the 18th century, with more than forty citrus plants, some up to ten metres tall, whose fruit carries a municipal De.Co. designation. The lemon grove reopened to the public in June 2026 after a restoration worth 1.6 million euros, with structural consolidation and the installation of an automated roof controlled by nearly one hundred computerised electric motors. The overall castle restoration is expected to involve a total investment of about five million euros. In case of bad weather, the event will be held at the city theatre; for information, contact Fondazione Aida at 0458001471 or fondazione@fondazioneaida.it.
Italian Version
