ENGLISH * BENEVENTO
IT
ALMOST SEEMS AS IF WE CAN STILL HEAR HIS LAMENT THROUGH THE WORDS OF DANTE:
"L'OSSA DEL CORPO MIO SARIENO ANCORA / IN CO DEL PONTE PRESSO A BENEVENTO,
/ SOTTO LA GUARDIA DE LA GRAVE MORA".
BUT WE HAVE NO MORE TIME
FOR REGRETS. "NO MORE REGRETS". WE HAVE NOT TRAVELLED ACROSS THIS
BEAUTIFUL LAND OF CAMPANIA, WITH ITS HAUNTING LANDSCAPES, SO RICH IN MEMORIES,
FOUGHT OVER BY ALL AND SO UNHAPPILY LOVED, IN ORDER TO COMMEMORATE IT, OR
WORSE, TO SENTIMENTALIZE ABOUT IT, IN NOSTALGIC TONES. IF WE HAVE PAUSED A
LITTLE UNDULY IN RELATING THE HISTORY OF THESE PLACES, NEGLECTING OTHERS WHICH
ARE EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT, FOR REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, IT IS BECAUSE WE
WISHED TO EMPHASISE OUR ROOTS AS A PEOPLE.
WE CANNOT LOVE AND RESPECT
THIS LAND WITHOUT FEELING OURSELVES TO BE THE LEGITIMATE HEIRS OF THOSE DISTANT
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE AND WORKED THE LAND IN REMOTE AGES, BEFORE ITS FERTILITY,
ITS FORTUNATE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND ITS NATURAL BEAUTY AROUSED THE RAPACITY
OF OTHERS. WE ARE AN ANCIENT PEOPLE, BUT WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE. AND THE FUTURE
WILL BE KIND TO US ONLY IF WE PROTECT OUR LAND WITH TOTAL DEDICATION. IT HAS
ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED SO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST; WE MUST BIND UP THE WOUNDS
AND CARE FOR IT AS BEST WE CAN. NOT ONLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY SEE IT, BUT BECAUSE
IT IS OURS.
OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES
ARE NOT PLENTIFUL. WE HAVE OUR LAND, WITH ITS NATURE, ITS HISTORY, ITS ART.
WHEN WE SHOW IT TO VISITORS, WE ARE SHOWING THEM OUR CIVILISATION. MAY WE
BE PROUD AND WORTHY OF IT.
