Not the traditional and coveted reception in the Quirinale Gardens, but a show in the square. Or rather, in the squares, in a virtual embrace with the Italian people.
To celebrate a special Republic Day, precisely 80 years after the referendum that changed the course of Italian history, Sergio Mattarella has chosen a show entitled "The Faces of the Republic." On the evening of June 2nd, starting at 9:00 PM, the show will retrace eight decades of our country's history for two hours, through the voices, stories, and performances of actors, musicians, singers, and athletes who have brought Italy to prominence around the world.
A format developed by the Quirinale together with RAI, in collaboration with SIAE and ANCI, which will take place in the Piazza del Quirinale, before approximately 2,700 invited guests, and thanks to live broadcast on Rai1, also in the squares of several Italian municipalities via giant screens set up for the occasion. "Going out into the squares is a powerful idea of openness," explains Giovanni Grasso, Presidential Advisor for Press and Communications, during the presentation. He is joined by RAI CEO Giampaolo Rossi, who announces: "We are activating a special program, involving all TV and radio channels, digital platforms, and our social media with historical insights, concerts, and extraordinary information activities." The goal, explains the manager, is "to enhance RAI as a bastion of national identity" because "over these 80 years, the public service has accompanied Italy's journey, recounting its transformations," and today this immense heritage is preserved in the archives of the company on Viale Mazzini.
Performing on stage will be leading figures from the world of music, including the National Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatories, the Laudate Dominum Choir, the Jubilus Ensemble Choir, Paolo Fresu, Danilo Rea, singers Annalisa, Luca Barbarossa, Gianni Morandi, Giuliano Sangiorgi, and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, who will perform Lucio Dalla's "Caruso" for the first time. Actors such as Paola Cortellesi, Carlo Verdone, Luca Zingaretti, Massimo Popolizio, Marta Gastini, Cesare Bocci, Cristiana Capotondi, Carolina Crescentini, and Flavio Insinna will also be present. There will also be athletes: Beppe Bergomi, Alex Del Piero, Bebe Vio, Federica Brignone, Arianna Fontana, and Abdon Pamich, a track and field legend of the 1950s and 1960s, forced to flee Rijeka on foot with his brother at the age of 13 during the Julian-Dalmatian exodus to escape Tito's fury. "This project is the culmination of a journey that began years ago," says SIAE President Salvo Nastasi. "The authors enthusiastically agreed when it was proposed to us, because they are the underlying theme of the event, and this makes us proud."
