The island, once a maximum security prison, a detention site hated by mafia members, is also a place of legality capable of preserving and keeping alive the memory of two magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino , judges who fought against Cosa Nostra . This time, the National Association of Magistrates is organizing two days of tribute to the two magistrates, held directly on Asinara , on October 4th and 5th, to commemorate their summer on the island. Forty years ago, Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo, and his colleague Borsellino, along with their families, were suddenly transferred here for safety reasons . It was the summer of 1985, and the magistrates, killed in the 1992 massacres, were preparing the maxi-trial that would deal a severe blow to Cosa Nostra. Many prominent figures from the era will be present at the two-day event, especially the magistrates' families: Manfredi and Lucia Borsellino will be present, and there will also be numerous contributions from their colleagues in Palermo.
The tribute was organized by the Sardinian Sectional Executive Council, in collaboration with the Legality Commission of the Central Steering Committee of the National Association of Magistrates. "It is an embrace from the Sardinian judiciary . An embrace to the men, to the extraordinary colleagues. To the highest example of service to the Republic, to justice, and to the fragility of democracy. This is one of the most important pages in our judicial history, that of the Maxi Trial. And it is also an embrace to those before and after them who have walked in the same footsteps," explains Andrea Vacca, President of the Sardinian Magistrates' Association. Representing the Sardinian Magistrates' Association, the following will be present: Secretary General Rocco Maruotti, Council Member Giuseppe Tango, and Chairman of the Legality Commission Gaspare Sturzo. Guests will include Luigi Patronaggio, Attorney General of Cagliari; Rodolfo Sabelli, Attorney General of Cagliari; Lia Sava, Attorney General of the Palermo Court of Appeal; Fernando Asaro, Public Prosecutor of Marsala; and Antonio Balsamo, Deputy Attorney General of the Court of Cassation. There will be video messages from the Attorney General of the Court of Cassation Pietro Gaeta, the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo, the Palermo Public Prosecutor Maurizio De Lucia, and the President of the Palermo Court Piergiorgio Morosini.
A commemorative video featuring former magistrates Leonardo Guarnotta, Giuseppe Di Lello, and Gian Carlo Caselli also captures the atmosphere of those years. Manfredi Borsellino, Lucia Borsellino, and Maria Falcone will also be present. For the occasion, the Ensamar shipping company will run two special trips to Asinara on Saturday, October 4th, departing from Porto Torres at 9:30 a.m. and departing from Asinara Island at 4:30 p.m. The Saturday trips will be additional trips, as the autumn schedule begins on October 1st, with trips three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, departing from Porto Torres at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and returning from Asinara at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.