Monte Amiata Cross relit to mark 80th anniversary

The monumental iron cross atop Monte Amiata was illuminated on August 26 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its reconstruction following its destruction by retreating German forces in 1944. The 22-meter structure, which was originally built between 1900 and 1910, was relit during a ceremony featuring a string quartet. This year, the illumination featured a red hue, a choice that has drawn mixed reactions from local observers.

The event also sparked a political controversy. Member of Parliament Fabrizio Rossi, representing the Siena-Grosseto constituency, denounced his exclusion from the ceremony as an ‘institutional snub.’ Rossi criticized the organizers and the Mayor of Abbadia San Salvatore, arguing that the cross is a symbol of collective identity for all Amiata communities rather than a single local administration. While the ceremony was attended by the President of the Tuscany Region and Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice, Rossi suggested the omission may have been based on partisan grounds.