Italian communities honor local figures Ernestino Balma and Mario Lugas

Community tributes are being organized in Italy to honor two prominent local figures. In Venaria, the Pro Loco Altessano-Venaria Reale has scheduled a public event for September 10 at the Salone Don Mosso to remember Ernestino Balma. A farmer, Knight of the Republic, and known as a 'peasant poet,' Balma was a founding member of the Pro Loco and supported numerous local organizations including Confagricoltura and the Ente Parco La Mandria.

In Oristano, the community is mourning the passing of Mario Lugas at the age of 96. Lugas was a significant figure in the region's economic and social development, most notably for founding the Cao sheep breeders' cooperative sixty years ago to protect farmers from industrial interests. He also served as president of the Consorzio di Bonifica and the Eleonora d’Arborea nursing home.