In Porto Cervo, the ceremony to name the central square after Karim Aga Khan IV, the founder of the Costa Smeralda and a figure who profoundly influenced the history and development of the Gallura region.
His son Rahim Aga Khan V also attended the tribute, arriving in the square with his two children and his uncle Amyn, where he spoke before the start with the mayor of Arzachena Roberto Ragnedda and the president of the Region Alessandra Todde.
"With profound institutional pride, today, by naming the square, we renew a pact of mutual respect and collaboration," said Mayor Roberto Ragnedda : "Karim Aga Khan arrived here at the age of twenty. There were no urban planning laws, but his vision was immediately accompanied by respect for nature, local identity, and people." He also announced the awarding of honorary citizenship to Rahim Aga Khan, just as his father was granted in 1965.
Regional President Alessandra Todde also spoke of his vision : "He imagined a future that was unimaginable, a model known throughout the world. This square brings to collective memory a name that has marked the history of contemporary Sardinia."
Prince Rahim thanked Sardinia for the recognition given to his father : "He wanted the best architects to create all this. A mission that grew out of a shared love for this land." "He conceived architecture not as simple decoration, but as a language of respect. Proportions, materials, and details were fundamental. Buildings had to integrate with their surroundings; beauty and simplicity could—and should—coexist. This is why the Costa Smeralda was appreciated not only for what it created, but also for what it preserved, and this is why its legacy remains so valuable today. For my family, this place also has a deeply personal meaning. My father loved Sardinia: its people, its land, its mountains, and its waters. My brothers and I spent our childhood summers there. Today, my grandchildren and my children also experience Porto Cervo as part of their childhood: the bond with Sardinia is thus carried on by a third generation."
After the three speeches, Anna Tifu took the stage for a musical performance that preceded the unveiling of the bronze statue, which depicts Karim Aga Khan as a young man sitting on the wall indicating Porto Cervo.