Forty years after the Ustica massacre, a 'black hole' in contemporary Italian history, on which full light has not yet been shed. It was June 27, 1980 when the DC9 of Itavia took off from Bologna airport direct to Punta Raisi, Palermo. But the plane exploded in flight and sank into the sea: a terrible accident that killed 81 people, including children. Over the years, there have been many suppositions and reconstructions of the accident but, so far, the investigations have not actually clarified the dynamics of the facts.
The Museum for the Memory of Ustica, which preserves the recovered remains of DC9 and the permanent installation “About Ustica” conceived by the artist Christian Boltanski in memory of the victims, has organized extraordinary openings from 40 pm to 20 pm for the 23th anniversary. Free guided tours are also provided upon reservation, by the educational department MAMbo (Museum of Modern Art of Bologna).
Ustica massacre, the 40th anniversary
“Bologna knows how to cultivate memory and continues the battle for the search for truth. We know that an act of war took place in the skies of Ustica in time of peace, so we ask once again to identify the planes that flew around DC9. And, since it was an act of war, we will not leave you alone until full justice and truth are given to us ". These are the considerations of Virginio Merola, mayor of Bologna, who recently presented the program of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the massacre. In fact, the Municipality of Bologna and the Association of Relatives of the Victims, on June 27 each year, commemorate the massacre and commemorate the 81 dead in the accident.
The celebrations to remember the victims of the massacre
On Saturday 27 June, in the council chamber of Palazzo d'Accursio in Bologna, a meeting will be held with the relatives of the victims of the Ustica massacre. Together with the mayor Virginio Merola and to the president of the Association of the relatives of the victims, Daria Bonfietti, the Speaker of the Chamber, ROberto Fico. The presence of the governor of Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini and the municipal councilor of Palermo Paolo Petralia Camassa is also expected. The meeting can be followed in streaming on the YouTube channel of Municipality of Bologna and will be broadcast live by Rainews and local TV stations Ètv and Trc Bologna.
"I will be in Bologna to participate in the initiatives organized on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Ustica massacre - wrote Roberto Fico on his Facebook profile - It is an imperative duty of the institutions to feed the exercise of memory on tragic events such as the one that took place on June 27, 1980. It is a duty to reaffirm a strong and determined commitment to shed light on what happened. The search for truth and justice on the death of the 81 people who were aboard the DC9 Itavia is a duty towards family members and our entire community. An act - concluded Fico - that strengthens our democratic state ”.
The Museum of the memory of Ustica
After the ceremony in the town hall, the commemoration will move to the Museum of the memory of Ustica, in via Saliceto also in Bologna. In the museum the president Fico will open the works of the conference on the theme "What would we have known about Ustica without the press?". The meeting is organized by the Association of the relatives of the victims of Ustica in collaboration with the National Federation of the Italian press (Fnsi). On the website of the House of Representatives all the info to follow the conference in streaming will be published.
The various activities of the exhibition will then be inaugurated “Around the museum”. Unfortunately, the health emergency due to the Coronavirus pandemic has imposed a significant reshaping and reduction of the initiatives planned for the 40th anniversary of the massacre. Despite the anti-contagion restrictions, the “Around the Museum” review will still offer four evenings of theater, music, dance and poetry in the space in front of the museum for the “Memoria di Ustica”.
Ustica massacre, the celebratory events of the next few days
On 7 July, the personal effects found in the Tyrrhenian Sea after the accident will offer the opportunity to reflect. To question how these fragments bring out the desire to fight again. The original theatrical text by Massimo Salvianti "A light dress" will be interpreted by Amanda Sandrelli accompanied on the piano by Rita Marcotulli. The show will be broadcast by Radio3 Rai I as part of the broadcast "Verdi Square " on the Ustica massacre.
The original concert is scheduled for July 14 "Mirra-Kone Duo" who will see on stage Pasquale Mirra, famous vibraphonist of the international music scene. There will be also Kalifa Kone, a talented Malian multi-instrumentalist. The event is in collaboration with the Bologna Jazz Festival. On July 24, the songs of 1980 will be the soundtrack of “A love song”Which will see the dancers Simona Bertozzi and Daniele Albanese on stage. The artists will be accompanied by the voice of Angela Baraldi and from the sound compositions of Daniela Cattivilli.
Dispersi - a bridge of poetry between Bologna and Palermo
On 10 August, on the night of San Lorenzo, it will be staged"Dispersi - a bridge of poetry between Bologna and Palermo". In Bologna with the direction of Peter Floridia the actors of Mestizo yards, coming from different countries, will move in a scenography made by fishermen's nets. Networks that are a symbol of interrelationships experienced by citizens in various participatory workshops. At the same time in Palermo Stefano Randisi, Enzo Vetrano and other actors will interpret poetic texts naturally dedicated to the Ustica massacre.
A massacre without guilty
The proposals of the Association of the relatives of the victims of Ustica to commemorate the 40th anniversary also concern the conference "Ustica and the '80s" scheduled for next autumn, in collaboration with the Municipality of Bologna, the historical institute Parri and the University of Bologna. The publication of the conference proceedings is also in preparation "1980, the year of Ustica" edited by Luca Alessandrini and the release of the book "Ustica, a historical reconstruction" curated by Cora Ranci. Among the events of the 40th anniversary there is also the production of the video-documentary "Ustica forty" produced by Emilia Romagna Teatro Foundation as part of “So it will be! The city we want ".
It is a 're-elaboration and archeology of memory', written by Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli with the direction of Alessandro Ferroni with the involvement of the students of the IV O of the Copernico high school in Bologna. Ustica forty you can follow in streaming, Saturday 27 June at 20 pm, on the page ERTonAIR and on first run on the page ERT Facebook.
