The city of gold, the industriousness of the Arezzo people and the Madonna del Conforto. Ghinelli’s speech to Bishop Andrea

“Good afternoon everybody,
to the civil, military and religious Authorities, to the Mayors, and to all of you who have chosen to follow this very important moment.
It is a privilege, and it is also a thrill for me to welcome and welcome to our city the new Bishop, His Excellency Monsignor Andrea Migliavacca, who from today will lead our Diocese, one of the largest and most populous, a Diocese which sacred places that belong to religious history, distinguish our faith and are synonymous and a destination for meditation and devotion.
Today we begin a journey of knowledge and sharing together. Our community has a long, beautiful and generous history to tell, which has its roots in the Etruscan era, and an equally profound history of devotion, a spirit that has animated this city for centuries. A city, therefore, of ancient origins and great traditions, a treasure trove of art and architecture, a land of geniuses such as Piero della Francesca, Petrarca, Vasari, Guido Monaco, and of an industriousness whose memory we still carry in our memory today. hardworking and proud character.
Constancy and determination have marked the ups and downs of the city, without ever endangering, indeed enhancing, the sense of identity and independence, the constitutive spirit of this community of ours. This is where modern Arezzo was born, that of gold, manufacturing, the tertiary sector, shops, factories, an intelligent and determined countryside. And from here comes the Arezzo that welcomes you today, which has been able to overcome the difficulties that in recent years have put that production system to the test, forcing us to reinterpret our attitudes.

Here Arezzo today is still the “city of gold” thanks to the tenacity of our entrepreneurs, who were able to challenge the crisis and recover their primacy. But not only that, today it is the city of services, it is the city of culture, it is the city of tourism and the Giostra del Saracino, it is a city attentive to the protection and preservation of the environment, sensitive to sustainability issues, on which much is the Administration is spending. And it is the city of a system of social protection and cohesion that is trying to keep the past identity together with the construction of a new identity capable of projecting it into a future of development that finds in hospitality, sustainability, culture its guidelines. A journey along which I am sure you will be able to accompany us with wisdom and foresight.

You will soon get to know us, Most Reverend Excellency. We may appear introverted, a little grumpy and Snarling Botoli as Dante defined us, but we are capable of solidarity and altruism. Arezzo stands out for its civic commitment which is characterized by the presence of numerous voluntary and assistance associations for the most vulnerable, a lively and motivated third sector, concretely dedicated to the common good with great responsibility. Arezzo has a strong solidarity network, with numerous realities, and we are proud of this because we know that real and spontaneous help is able to make up for objective deficiencies as well as help create strong social cohesion.

And he will discover the extraordinary devotion of this city, which has its Protector in the Madonna del Conforto and its Patron Saint in San Donato. Every year on the occasion of the dedicated celebrations, respectively on February 15 and August 7, it is not only tradition that one breathes but the renewal of a sincere entrustment to a true and authentic faith, a collective participation that bears witness to the most intimate need for spirituality that perhaps our hectic time is rekindling in each of us. You will be able to touch, Your Most Reverend Excellency, the faith that pervades tens of thousands of Aretini, who punctually every year parade in front of the image of theirs, of our Lady from the very early hours of the morning to receive the blessing. And it comforts us to think that Francis of Assisi passed through our streets and that there are nearby holy places like La Verna, like Camaldoli, where we can find answers to our desire for recollection and peace.
You will always find, Bishop Andrea, our willingness to dialogue and discuss all the issues that affect our community, certain that together with you we will find new ideas and new energies to better continue our journey. A journey along which up to now His Excellency Archbishop Riccardo has accompanied us with his commitment and continuity, to whom my most sincere thanks go, both personally and from the City.
I am happy to begin with you, Bishop Andrea, a path of human, spiritual and civil growth, a relationship of concrete collaboration, to ensure a more peaceful future for the City and the Diocese.
On my behalf, on behalf of the Administration and of the city I represent, I express my deepest sympathy for your pastoral mission together with our warmest welcome and best wishes for a good job.

The city of gold, the industriousness of the Arezzo people and the Madonna del Conforto. Ghinelli’s speech to Bishop Andrea