On Thursday evening, at the **Salò library**, Giampaolo Matrone presented his book “The Last Survivor of Rigopiano: 62 Hours Under the Snow,” in which he recounts the tragic disaster that occurred on January 18, 2017, resulting in the deaths of 29 people, including his wife Valentina. During the event, led by Roberta Ghirardi, Matrone expressed his profound sense of injustice regarding a tragedy he believes could have been avoided. His testimony was marked by a sober and incisive tone, highlighting the political and institutional responsibilities that accompanied the event.
Matrone described the legal process as a game where the defeat was recorded with an unsatisfactory score: “1 – 0” in favor of the victims. He emphasized how the promises made by high-ranking political figures turned out to be mere empty words and scattered money without any real consequences for the victims’ families. Despite the apparent calm with which he tells his story, it is evident that the pain and anger over what happened continue to haunt him. He concludes by stating that he will never forgive those responsible for the disaster and that his trust in Justice in Italy has now vanished.
Italian Version