La Nazione
PISA: Irreparable Damage to an Image
(PISA, Italia, Posted 31 May 2001 04: 53)
(PISA) Irreparable damage to an image. This is what Pisa risks over the legal problems related to prohibition of the use of Piazza dei Miracoli for a grand cultural event. Only a few days ago a veto by the Office of the Cultural Good has prevented a big event that, recorded by the television cameras of RAI, should have been transmitted June 2 on occasion of the celebrations for the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic. Now the new "tile" on the concert of Bocelli. Ultimately the Ronchey decree is the judge that imposes "restrictions frankly inconceivable in the face of certain public demonstrations".
As expressed yesterday by mayor Paolo Fontanelli who, enraged by this undeserved imposed silence on one of the more famous plazas of the world, has phoned the Minister of the Cultural Good, Giovanna Melandri, as well as writing a letter of protest to the Office: "If these ties will not be removed it will be impossible to think about organizing any demonstration in the Plaza of the Cathedral. Yet the same scenery is available for an advertising spot, a commercial exploitation of the monuments. But no cultural demonstration could be organized, even in the presence of adequate safety measures. "It is clear", says the mayor, "that the Ronchey decree has been modified".
The decree was promulgated with the chief purpose of physically removing stalls and itinerant sellers, but instead it has been interpretted in the courts, obtaining judgment, that the decree could not be retroactive and therefore the stalls that were already existing on the plaza, could continue to stay.
La Nazione
Bocelli moves toward St. Rossore, but ...
(PISA, Italia, Posted 31 May 2001 04: 53)
by Renzo Castelli
PISA While it is attended (and it is hoped) that the mayor resolves the contention with the Office of the Cultural Good for the use of the plaza of the Cathedral on 17 June, an alternative possibility is in the works for the concert that Andrea Bocelli will hold in Pisa. It is clear to all that the maximum scenic effect - and therefore the maximum meaning - would come from the seting that was initially conceived by Professor Mosca, that is Piazza dei Miracoli. But if minister Melandri minister must hold hard (but why, considering that the Work of the Cathedral would be also be favored?), he needs to define, since time is short, an alternative center. If, as the organizers hope, 10-12 thousand concert-goers attend, an ideal center would be the Garibaldi Arena, on this there is no doubt, but the solution seems to find hostility with the singer. Therefore, attention has turned toward St. Rossore where Andrea Bocelli held a successful concert already on the night of June 27 1997.
Unfortunately this hypothesis also meets some difficulty that we list in succession. As the experience of '97 shows, "all full" corresponds to less than 5,000 people, a good distance from the 10 thousand that the organizers expect. Another difficulty is represented by the fact that in those days the racecourse entertains the demonstration, this year in its second edition, "Pisa, City of Horses". The demonstration, already definite in details, will be presented next Thursday; concurrent with the organizations Region, Province, Commune, Room of Commerce, Coni, Fise, Ante, Gruppo Toscans Attacchi, and Alfea. With the racecourse already busy, will it be possible to smoothly prepare the grandstand and all involved in the organization of a concert? In 1997, some organizational problems moved the original date of June 13 to June 27. Tomorrow however a meeting will be held at St. Rossore in which all the possible difficulty will be valued (taking in examination will be the possibility to organize the concert at St. Rossore, not at the racecourse but at the center of the rotunda of Cascine Vecchie), always in the hope that meanwhile from Rome a positive answer will arrive.
This series of incidentsthat disturbs the organization of a such a grand demonstration is very unpleasant . The elegant solidarity that the concert intends, would have deserved a more elastic criterion from the Office , considering also the daily stamping to which the plaza of the Cathedral is subjected on the part of thousands of tourists. We hope therefore that, in the end, good sense prevails and the concert is not forced to emigrate into the country.
To return to the concert that Andrea Bocelli held at St. Rossore June 27, 1997, we remember that on that occasion the result went for the benefit of the Exodus group of Mr. Mazzi for the recovery of addicts. The organization was by D'Allessandro& Galli, the long time manager of Bocelli, but the major structure of the work was performed by the Association Theater of Pisa. After a week of bad times, and big uncertainties about the June 27 concert, a magnificent evening was presented, as soon as the sun set. And it was a big success.
