Castiglione Aloisian Festivals 2001 Celebrate Patron Saint and Pope Visit
Presentation of the Aloisian Festivals 2001
Five consecutive days of celebrations to honor the patron saint, San Luigi Gonzaga, and to commemorate the visit of the Holy Father that took place exactly ten years ago. Thus, the cultural and events assessor, Giuseppe Bertoli, presented the ‘Feste Aloisiane 2001’.
“The event is now becoming a pleasant tradition for the castiglionesi,” — the deputy mayor reiterated — “We are proud to have been born in a place that produced such an extraordinary person, and we want to celebrate him in the best possible way.” The events will take place from June 16 to June 21.
Events of June 16
On Saturday, June 16, at 4:00 PM, in the Santuario gallery, the exhibition ‘Pages of Castiglionese History’ will open, curated by the local Filatelic and Numismatic Circle.
At the refectory of the College of the Virgins, in Viale Boschetti, at 6:30 PM, the opening ceremony will take place for another exhibition, open until July 8: ‘Luigi Beato and Saint in Mantuan Collections,’ curated by Gianluigi Arcari and Umberto Padovani.
Events of June 17
On Sunday, June 17, at 9:00 PM, in San Luigi Square, ‘Danza 2001’ will be performed, a show organized by the dance schools ‘Città di Castiglione,’ ‘Il Cigno,’ and ‘Tersicore.’
Events of June 19
On Tuesday, June 19, at 9:45 PM, again in the square in front of the Basilica, ‘Deus lo vult’: fireworks and duels with trampoline actors from the Folli Company of Ascoli Piceno.
Events of June 20
On Wednesday, June 20, in the courtyard of Palazzo Gonzaga, at 9:00 PM, the Campogalliani Theatre Academy of Mantua will stage ‘The Annunciation to Mary,’ a mystery by Paul Claudel.
Main Day of the Festivities
The main day of the festival, Thursday, June 21, commemorates the saint patron, with the awarding of the civic honor ‘Luigi d’Oro’ to don Rinaldo Dalboni, rector of the Basilica-Sanctuary for 54 years, at 6:30 PM in the council chamber.
At 7:30 PM, a solemn mass will be held in the square, officiated by the bishop of Mantua, monsignor Egidio Caporello. After the religious service, the plaque of Gino Salvarani, the artist, will be unveiled in honor of the tenth anniversary of Pope John Paul II‘s visit to Castiglione.
The artwork will be on view between the church and the town hall. Also notable is an initiative by the parish, with a dinner of sharing with young people at 8:30 PM (reservations by calling the parish office at 0376-638037), along with the pre-festival of oratory songs scheduled for 9:00 PM.