A WELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF ROVERETO, GIULIA ROBOL, TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, SERGIO MATTARELLA

Mr President of the Republic, the Honourable Sergio Mattarella,
It is with immense honour and deep emotion that I welcome you today on behalf of the entire community of Rovereto and Trentino, on behalf of all the authorities, and of every citizen.

Your presence here at the Colle di Miravalle is not simply a courteous visit, but the highest and most prestigious institutional recognition. It reaffirms the value and significance that Maria Dolens holds as part of our international heritage and as a symbol of peace.

This occasion, Mr President, is a source of great pride for our city and for our region. It strengthens what we consider our most deeply held and widely recognised identity: that of being a City of Peace. This title is not merely honorary but is enshrined in national Law No. 103 of 2006. It is a responsibility we work to fulfil each day by respecting human rights, promoting solidarity, supporting volunteering and encouraging international cooperation.

This year is a special year. Maria Dolens is celebrating its centenary: one hundred years, one hundred tolls that echo into the evening air, carrying a message of unity through sound cast in bronze. As the inscription conceived by Don Antonio Rossaro reminds us: dum aere jungo populos. (...)

The history of Rovereto and Trentino was profoundly shaped by the Great War. Our land was a brutal frontline, a border region marked by devastation and unspeakable suffering. Our cities and valleys were destroyed, our people scattered and forced to evacuate. The last century saw countless local and global conflicts, radical upheavals, the fall of empires, shifting borders, persecution, torture and the extermination of entire communities.

The sleep of reason produces monsters, Mr President, but from those ruins and from that pain, our region rose again with extraordinary strength and resilience.

The end of war marked the beginning of a new path. Through a long and difficult process of reconciliation, scars were transformed into a living example of peaceful coexistence. This land became a place of special autonomy and a champion of peace. It was the fruit of a far-sighted, profoundly European vision, shaped by founding figures such as our own President Alcide De Gasperi. He and others paved the way for a united Europe, a true bulwark of peace and democracy, where borders no longer divide but connect. That vision has made our region a place of dialogue and peaceful development.

Yet the global situation today is deeply uncertain and changing rapidly. We are witnessing violent conflict and growing instability in many parts of the world. War is no longer far away. It is inside Europe, it is in the Middle East, and the violence continues to escalate. (...)

The message of Maria Dolens is therefore more relevant and more necessary than ever. Every evening, its one hundred tolls ring out over the city and speak to the world. They commemorate the victims of all wars, warn against hatred, and call each of us to take individual and collective responsibility for building a future of peace. Maria Dolens tolls for everyone, with no exceptions. It does not judge or decide. It tolls to remind us of the spirit of life. It speaks to the heart of men and women with a deeply human emotion.

The Bell of Peace, Mr President, together with the War Museum (MITAG) and the Ossuary of Castel Dante, are powerful symbols of our culture of peace and remembrance. Rovereto has taken on a leading role in turning what began as a commemorative project into a civic and cultural mission. Here, borders are not barriers. Diversity is seen as a source of richness and learning. Our European home is built on inclusion, freedom and a shared vision for the future. Through our daily actions, in our social engagement, in education, volunteering and sport, we work to nurture a spirit of welcome that is rooted in justice and human dignity. (...)

Thank you, Mr President, for choosing to be with us on this deeply meaningful day. Your presence is a great honour. It gives us renewed courage and confirms that the path we are on, though challenging, is the right one. It is the only path that can leave a lasting mark and offer hope to future generations. May the sound of Maria Dolens continue to be a voice – a lasting call to fraternity among peoples, a message that rings out from Rovereto to the entire world.