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Don Milani statue plaque controversy continues

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-02 19:32 UTC → 2026-08-25 14:37 UTC · added removed

In late July 2026 2026, Vagli di Sotto prepared to unveil a marble statue of priest Don Lorenzo Milani. A bronze plaque originally bore a strongly anti‑communist quotation that the Don’s former students, the Don Milani Foundation Foundation, and other groups said was not found in his writings and contradicted his known teachings. In an open letter, they stated, “quelle frasi non rappresentano il suo pensiero e i suoi insegnamenti.” They filed a legal warning and launched a petition demanding its removal before the scheduled inauguration on 31 July. Mayor Mario Puglia ordered the disputed quotation stripped from the plaque, arguing it could fuel ideological division and that the tribute should remain politically neutral. Lawyer Pietro Ichino supported the removal, noting the passage’s inauthenticity. The decision sparked mixed reactions: left‑wing groups and former students criticized the excision, while others welcomed the effort to avoid politicising the memorial. Despite the mayor’s earlier order, the statue was inaugurated on 31 July with the anti‑communist inscription still in place. Regional councilor Jacopo Maria Ferri (Forza Italia) and Movimento Autonomista Toscòno founder Alessandro Mazzerelli attended, and the municipal council, after further consultation, council decided to keep the wording. The Don Lorenzo Milani Foundation, led by president Agostino Burberi, reiterated that the plaque does not reflect Milani’s thought and announced legal action to have it altered or removed. action. The ANPI condemned the phrase as a revisionist distortion of Milani’s legacy, distortion, while the local group Fiamma Tricolore defended the monument. The controversy therefore continues, with legal Following the inauguration, Flavia Milani Comparetti, the priest's niece, and political battles expected to unfold. the Don Milani Foundation filed a precautionary appeal with the Court of Lucca seeking the plaque's removal. The appellants contend the phrase, reportedly derived from books by Alessandro Mazzerelli, contradicts Milani’s documented positions.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-25 14:37 UTC Don Milani statue plaque controversy continues
  2. 2026-08-02 19:32 UTC Don Milani statue plaque controversy continues
  3. 2026-08-01 14:05 UTC Don Milani statue plaque controversy escalates
  4. 2026-08-01 14:05 UTC Don Milani statue plaque dispute escalates
  5. 2026-07-27 11:33 UTC Don Milani statue plaque controversy

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