(PISA, Italia, Saturday 17 June 2000)
La Stampa Giornale
In a symbolic opening after 10 years, Carla Fracci christens the Tower then minister Nerio Nesi will decide on the destiny of the monument, "he did not say that it must be climbed".
La Stampa Reporter in PISA
Here is the Tower that discloses its mysteries. And it is 7PM on arrival at the bell cell greeted by a sound that stuns. Carla Fracci, fragile and light in her empire style suit, white pierced, runs with her hands covering her eardrums. She had not ever climbed, before, and the occasion was too greedy, an opening for privileged, and she sighed, before facing the ancient staircase: "she has a little bit of fear". Then, up there, she says that, yes, she would dance around the bells and this spellbound place remembers her Debussy and Mendelssohn. But yes, the joke is by now reassured, "dancing around here as the bells 'ding' and not making an attempt to fly, otherwise it was 'bang'". The "christener" is abducted, a fairy that seems to have broken a sorcery 10 years old and the people call and applaud.
Today 70 privileged students climb, but only up to the second storey. There is the tv, also there when the Tower was closed, it looks as if its withered destiny was written through the television. Since 7 January 1990, a cold dog of a Sunday, Raffaella Carrą was told to close the green front door. And he obeyed it. The chronicles of that day, all sad, tell that Bianca Prandelli, parachutist of Brescia, was the last of 1735 visitors. But he arrived to television cameras and, as is told, he did not do news. Today, instead, all are overcome as the Tower comes back.
Also Nerio Nesi, minister of Public Works, climbs, but he goes only to the second storey, " however, it is an extraordinary emotion. These things here say that we are in civilization". The red roofs of the hospital are readily seen and of the houses of Santa Maria", tells Anthony Tabucchi, "this enchantment, also in the "black Angel": "The staircases of this tower are terrible, steep and tilted, a spiral, like an intestine, and each turn one sees the city lower from the openings."
But will the people return to climb, within a year, when the monument will be reopened? Nesi has said that "the Tower is a sight from the lower part, I don't believe it necessary to climb. The fundamental problem for the Country and for the world is the stability of the Tower. In short, it not necessary that the people goe above".
It is not a sentence but an opinion and for Pier Francis Pacini, worker-president of the Work of the Primaziale it is a low blow: he has seen the accounts, so much loss by the closing already, and with the reopening, so much profit for the institution that takes care of the monuments of the Piazza dei Miracoli. "Lost Billions", he repeats and it is almost possible to see a tear in his dark eyes. The engineer Michele Jamiolkowski, president of the committee of the 13 experts has been at the bedside of the monument for all this time, he takes time and pronounces that "the thing has not been discussed yet, it will be next year".
Within a year, therefore, the destinies will end. Within a year, repeat those that have worked on the consolidation, it will be reopened or, at least, the bell tower will be declared stable. And there are the accounts. Marcello Arredi, general manager of the office of Public Works, tallies a series of the expenses: in all, 54 billion lire (US$ 27 million) . "Half Truths", say the cynics. And does the money serve well? Is the Tower saved? Jamiolkowski doesn't have doubts, "it will be stable for centuries". At the moment the inclination has been reduced by 14.5 centimeters, ultimately it will come to 42-43 cm. And he adds that when the experts are gone, they will leave a technical document in which it will be urged to maintain monitors on the monument, "for at least 10 years". But there has not been this wind of optimism always, in past days, he remembers, in which the wind seemed to blow for the wrong verse. And has he ever thought that he might not be the engineer that saved the Tower but the one who kocked it down? "No, up to this point, no".
