Il Tirreno Giornale (PISA, Italia, Saturday 16 June 2001)
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The Bells Return to Play after 11 and a Half Years
With the president of the Senate Pera, three ministers and D'Alema At 5:30 PM parachutists land in Piazza dei Miracoli Meanwhile Enel has planned a beautiful nighttime illumination of the Cathedral |
 Many Tourists under the Tower on the Vigil of its Re-Opening (foto Muzzi) |
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PISA. Today, after almost 11 and a half years, the leaning Tower will be returned to humanity and the bells will ring. The Tower will return free of cables, suspenders, weights, even though the definitive opening to the public won't happen before October.
Eleven years ago the lean was of 4 meters, 50 centimeters. Today it is reduced by 43.8 centimeters. Enough, the experts affirm, to guarantee it in good health for 250-300 years. Today, at the re-opening ceremony, that will unwind at 4:30 PM, the president of the Senate Marcello Pera is expected, the minister of the Interior Claudio Scajola, Urban Giuliano, of the Office of the Cultural Good, and Pietro Lunardi of the Infrastructures . There will also be the leader of the Ds Massimo D'Alema, who, when he was president of the counsel, followed a portion of this adventure. In forenoon, in the auditorium of the Primaziale, the coordinator of the committee of safeguard, Professor Michele Jamiolkowski, will present the authorities with a summary of the work of the committee and the results achieved. Another meaningful moment of the celebration will occur at 3:30 PM, again in the auditorium of the Primaziale, with the presentation of the winners of the contest promoted by the Office of Public Works among the pupils of the elementary and middle schools, government and commissions, for the best work on the theme "the Tower of Pisa". At 5:30 PM ten parachutists from the center for training of the Folgore Brigade will drop themselves on Piazza dei Miracoli. The launch will be effected by G-222 of the 46th air brigade from a height of 1500 meters. Meanwhile, last night the president of Enel, Chicco Testa, has described the temporary illumination of the Tower (until June 24) performed solely for the reopening of the famous monument. "The intent of the temporary illumination provided by So.l.e.", says Testa, "is to emphasize the magnitude of the architectural emergency that threatened the Tower and to focus attention for the occasion, through a more intense light relative to the baptistery, the Cathedral, and the piazza". But not all the intervention on the Tower is completed. Remaining is still the restoration of the leaning masonry that will be administered jointly by the Offices for the Cultural Good and Infrastructures. They are, in fact, to appropriate the funds needed for the project, already approved by the superintendent. Realistaically this phase of work will not start before next year. Translated by Gary Feuerstein, 15 July 2001, from the Il Tirreno article
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