MALTA BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE MARIA DOLENS PEACE MEMORANDUM

Perhaps we are not quite "ready to die"; a little more before football matches however the death rate is low. Goffredo Mameli, who entrusted his friend composer Michele Novaro in 1847 with the six stanzas of which we know only the first by heart, was certainly ready for it. The Italian national anthem, as with most others, serves to stir the spirits, and at that time it was justified. Malta's on the other hand does not. It is a prayer - sweet, passionate, poetic. 

Hearing the two songs one after the other on 19 July of last year during Malta's accession ceremony to the ‘Campana’ Peace Memorandum was like going through two distant eras. One made up of patriotic struggles that require daring and recklessness, the other marked by a reflection on the future rather than the present, on what to do once independence is achieved. One invites us to gather "in cohort" in a spirit of brotherhood necessary to defeat a present and real enemy, the other asks God to give "wisdom and mercy to those who govern, health to those who work" and to ensure "Unity and Peace" for the people.

These characteristics emerged perfectly in the performance of the Lizzana Band directed by Maestro Andrea Loss, who for family reasons feels at home in both countries. If you ask him he will tell you that the words of the Maltese anthem, which in this case could only be evoked, were written by a poet priest, DunKarmPsaila, when a world war had just ended and no one expected another. He goes on to explain that it was actually supposed to be a school song but history almost always takes unpredictable paths.

Listening alongside the Foundation President Reggente Marco Marsilli were the Ambassador of Malta to Italy, Carmel Vassallo, and the Mayor of Rovereto, Francesco Valduga who were united in the common aim of promoting dialogue and condemning all forms of conflict. 

The text asks God to give "wisdom and mercy to those who govern, health to those who work" and to ensure "unity and peace" for the people

Together they marched, escorted by a delegation of the National ‘Bersaglieri’ Association led by Livio Guidolin carrying the flag until the flagpole that rises next to Maria Dolens where two officers of the Municipal Police of Rovereto, in full uniform, hoisted it over the valley. Another declaration of accordance with the values of the Bell has been flying from that moment on at the Colle di Miravalle.

Marsilli explained this by recalling the origins of the Bell, the bronze of cannons cast to create a symbol of peace, and highlighting how "we are all too used to considering Europe as something acquired, while we should do more to preserve the principles that animate it and to strengthen them in our daily actions». At the first affiliation experienced by the president, Marsilli did not hide his emotion. In fact, he expressed how happy he was that Malta was the protagonist of this christening, recalling that Valletta and Rome are linked by a strong historical and geographical bond, which takes shape in the Trentino area in a "small yet highly distinguished" Italian-Maltese community present at the event. 

The words were written by a poet priest, DunKarmPsaila, when a world war had just ended and no-one expected another.

"Last November I learned that Malta was one of the few countries within the Council of Europe that did not have its flag on the Colle di Miravalle and I began to work to fill this gap", explained the ambassador Vassallo. "Malta fully adheres to the values of the Council of Europe, promotes human rights, the strengthening of the democratic system and the rule of law and diplomatic dialogue as a tool for resolving conflicts between countries. These values are the basis of the work carried out by the Rovereto Peace Bell Foundation, which is why our adhesion is a completely natural thing ", he concluded, highlighting that" Italy and Malta have suffered during the conflicts in Europe but today are two amicable countries linked by a millenary history that work together for peace". 

Great ideas can arise from suffering especially if "memory becomes perspective", as Mayor Valduga so aptly summarized while conveying the regards of a city capable of "reflecting on tragedy to create hope" like few others can.

Sometimes a few words are enough, in other cases a few notes. Those of the anthems were explicit while those sung by the Rovereto Minicoro, directed as always with precision and affection by Gianpaolo Daicampi, were at times exciting. It took the children to remind everyone that "we could start with music", one of the few things that truly unites men and nations, and certainly the most useful in order "to communicate what Europe is". The hundred strokes of Maria Dolens ended another day to remember. 

The Ambassador of Malta to Italy Carmel Vassallo

Reggente Marco Marsilli, Foundation President and Ambassador Carmel Vassallo honor the flag of Malta