At the age of 50, Ion, a Romanian living in Ostia near Rome, managed to impress the entire community after he began painting a pedestrian bridge in the locality on his own. The news was published in the newspaper The Republic and speak of the Romanian’s act as “a Christmas miracle”.
“Christmas miracle on the pedestrian bridge of Ostia, the one on the Rome-Lido railway. The miracle was performed by Ion, known as Giovanni, a 50-year-old unemployed Romanian, who restored the passage on the Rome-Lido railway which had been abandoned for decades by Ama and from the Municipality”, writes La Repubblica.
The bridge was rusty and dirty and within a month the Romanian had it cleaned up and the railing painted using money raised from donations from residents.
On Christmas Eve, he finished painting the last part of one side of the railing. You will need one more day between Christmas and New Year’s to end up on the other side of the railing, write the Italian journalists.
Out of work, he has now been offered a job in construction.
“It had been at least 40 years since the town hall didn’t take care of this bridge. Luckily a gentleman from Romania took care of it. His is a message of love for this city but also a lesson in civic education for everyone,” he said an Italian woman struck by Ion’s gesture.
