A Final Farewell: Community Mourns Simone Farinelli
Bologna, 23 October 2024 – In a Somber scene, the Pantheon of the Certosa struggled to contain the crowd gathered to bid farewell to Simone Farinelli, just 20 years old, whose life was tragically cut short by a devastating flood in Val di Zena.
Friends and the Banner: “Ciao Simo from Bottego regaz”
The affection of Simone’s young friends was palpable, with many of his Arcangeli high school companions leaving a poignant message on the school’s walls in his memory. This was not just a farewell; it felt like a community’s heart was being laid bare. Out in those drizzling condolences, someone shouted “Hi Simo!” as the coffin emerged, followed by an outburst of applause. It’s a bittersweet farewell, isn’t it? The kind where you wish you could turn back time, or at least adjust the screws a little so bad things don’t happen. We can all agree: floods and funerals should never mix.
The Mayor’s Presence: “Taking Responsibility”
Bologna’s Mayor, Matteo Lepore, donned his tricolor band, a symbol of both solidarity and responsibility. It’s almost like he was saying, “Let’s not just be sad; let’s do something!”—like throwing a grand party but with less confetti and more solemn reflection. He expressed both grief and accountability, emphasizing that what happened to Simone affects everyone, particularly a community which should band together in times of distress. Although, let’s be honest, handling bureaucracy after a tragedy feels much like trying to get a cat into a bath—inevitably messy.
The Torment of Grandparents
As you would expect, the heart-wrenching scene wasn’t limited to just the peers and mayors. Simone’s grandparents were there, unleashing cries of despair. “You can’t die like this!” they lamented. Tragic moments remind us that while life can throw more bananas at us than a cartoon, we still need to peel and cope with them. Their pain bathed us all in the shivering reality of loss.
The Brother’s Heartfelt Farewell
Pure emotion emanated from Andrea, Simone’s brother, as he stood there, barely holding it together, reflecting on their last moments shared. “Words are not enough—I love you…” he said, sounding like a heartbroken poet who just lost his best muse. Imagine the pain in realizing that the car you were in with your brother during a flood turned into a drowning sorrows gala rather than a drive home. Andrea’s wish that “no one else should ever endure this,” resonated profoundly. Crikey! Life sure knows how to give a good kick in the feels, doesn’t it?
Plans for Remembrance: A Mural for Simone
In a moving tribute, there are discussions of a mural dedicated to Simone that will grace the Zocca Civic Box Office Center. Yes, turning tragedy into art makes for a brilliant endeavor. It could serve as a constant reminder not just of loss but of joy, friendship, and the vibrant spirit that not even floods can wash away. One can imagine that every time someone sees that mural, they might say, “What a character he was,” perhaps mimicking a cheeky grin just like Simone’s.
The Community’s Resilience
What unfolds in the coming days will be a testament to community resilience. They’ll rally together not just to remember a life lost but to create awareness of the fragility of it. Together, they’ll echo the sentiment that while storms may come, the sunshine does return; perhaps not in the immediate aftermath but in rallying hearts and minds to ensure no one’s left behind drifting in emergency waters.
So, as we reflect on this tragic farewell, let us remember to cherish the moments, to lift each other up, and to keep the laughter alive in our hearts, even in the midst of sorrow. Until next time, folks—stay safe, stay compassionate, and most importantly, stay dry!
Bologna, 23 October 2024 – The Pantheon of the Certosa he barely managed to contain the people who wanted to say goodbye, for one last painful time, Simone Farinelli, the 20-year-old victim, in Val di Zena, of the flood that hit the area hard on Saturday.
The funeral of Simone Farinelli (in the small box at the top right), the twenty-year-old killed by the flood in Pianoro. In the photo in the center Simone’s mother and brother with the mayor Matteo Lepore and on the left his father
Friends and the banner: “Ciao Simo from Bottego regaz”
Both Simone’s young friendsmany of the companions of Arcangeli high school on whose wallsjust yesterday, a writing appeared in memory of the 20-year-old. Lots too the citizens of Ozzano, where Simone and his older brother Andrea lived in Pianoro. “Hi Simo.” Signed: “Bottego regaz”. It is the banner with which his friends gave him their final farewell. In the rain, the boys waited for the coffin to emerge from the Pantheon room. “Hi Simo”, someone shouted, while the others present applauded. The last to greet Simone with un kiss on the coffin was brother Andrea, who was with him when the water of a torrent overwhelmed the car they were traveling in.
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Crowd of friends, acquaintances and administrators for the last farewell to the young man overwhelmed by mud and water in Val di Zena
A mural for Simone at the Zocca Box Office
The mayor of Bologna was also present with them Matteo Lepore and that of San Lazzaro di Savena Marilena Pillati beyond Luca Lelli and Luca Vecchiettini: in both towns of the province today was proclaimed citizen mourning. The regional councilor also arrived Raffaele Donini and the metropolitan delegate Simona Lembi. He also attended the ceremony Rita Finzi (president of the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, which Farinelli was supposed to start this week) and the rector of the Alma Mater, Giovanni Molari as well as representatives of the Cineteca, Mambo and Virtus. Long and moving too the memory of the mayor of Pianoro Luca Vecchiettini, who knew the family personally and is already thinking of dedicating a murals to Simone at the Zocca Civic Box Office Center.
Lepore: “Here to take responsibility for what happened”
So instead the first metropolitan citizen Matteo Lepore: “The tricolor band with which we mayors are here today has a double meaning: on the one hand because the family has invited the institutions and it is right that we are here because this must be a moment of community and it must be a moment in which we all let’s come together to create a project around Simone. On the other hand the tricolor band also has the meaning of an assumption of responsibility because what happened to Simone is a serious thing that affects everyone’s lives, but which must particularly affect the institutions’ taking responsibility.” Also present were representatives of all the worlds that Simone loved and of which he was part: the rector of the University of Bologna and the director of the Academy of Fine Arts, representatives of the Cineteca, the Mambo and the Virtus.
The torment of grandparents
Screams of pain, shortly before the arrival of the coffin, from the grandparents with whom Simone lived: “It cannot be accepted, you can’t die like this. It’s a shameful thing what happened.” Half a thousand people welcomed Simone’s coffin which, in a few minutes, was literally sprinkled with flowers brought as gifts by friends and fellow citizens.
The memory of his brother Andrea
“Words are not enough to tell you how much I love you – he said brother Andrea -. I am grateful to all those who are making us feel their closeness and yet this will not make me get Simone back, the last person I wanted to lose. The house will be emptier without you, I will no longer have you by my side in the parterres at concerts or in the stands in the arenas. During the last flood, a month ago, you told me within the walls of your house ‘it can’t rain forever’. It’s impressive now to think back to those words, it’s absurd to think that, in 2024, the water of the rain and rivers will mix with that of the tears we are shedding for you. I hope that no one will ever have to suffer what I suffer again, who barely survived. I hope that when it’s my turn, and I meet you again, I will be able to see you smiling and tell you that that damned night I only intended to get you home and safe.”
