The church was packed, with many residents gathered in the square outside this morning to pay their last respects to Piero Filigheddu, who died at the age of 85. The former mayor's funeral, held in the Tempio Nuovo di Santa Maria della Neve, was attended by family members, residents, the current mayor Ragnedda, administrators, political figures, and several mayors from Gallura.
Parish Priest Father Jacek Meczel presided over the service, assisted by Father Mauro Moretti, former parish priest of Arzachena and now parish priest of Porto Cervo. In his homily, Father Jacek remembered Filigheddu primarily for his personal qualities: "He was a good man, merciful, and attentive to everyone." Special mention was made of his sensitivity toward those in need.
A Christian Democrat close to Nino Giagu's faction, Filigheddu began his administrative career as deputy mayor, becoming mayor in 1975. He returned to the helm of the municipality in 1994, the first mayor of Arzachena to be directly elected by the citizens, subsequently winning two further terms in 1998 and 2008. His last administrative stint ended prematurely in 2011. He was the protagonist of a long political season, marked by the economic and urban transformation of Arzachena and the development of the Costa Smeralda.
During the celebration, Father Mauro Moretti offered a more familiar memory, harking back to the 1970s, when as a child he spent summers on Via Tempio, near the Filigheddu family's home. He spoke of playing with the then-mayor's children and of the attention he gave to the neighborhood children. "He would approach, this tall man would arrive, and he would make us feel important," he recalled. In Father Mauro's testimony, that helpfulness to others also accompanied Filigheddu in his public duties. The priest also recalled his profession as a teacher and his family life, remembering him as a husband, father, and grandfather.