TRESANA. No one remembered whether the last ribbon announcing the birth of a baby was pink or blue. And how could it have been done? The stork hadn’t passed by for thirty years I look for, small village of a handful of inhabitants nestled in the Lunigiana municipality of Tresana which has 1,960 residents. Then the event: within a few weeks there were actually two blue ribbons hanging. First he was born Alessandro, shortly after Tommaso. And they are even neighbors. «They will grow together», say, respectively, mother Natascia and mother Ilaria.
The first born
It is August 24th, when Alessandro sees the light of dayLa Spezia hospital: he is the son of Francesco Pina, 33 years old, and Natasha Chirco, twenty-nine years old. He, a specialized worker, is from Lunigiana, from Terrarossa – we are in the municipality of Licciana Nardi – she, who works for a social services cooperative, is from La Spezia. Their love story began 12 years ago when Natasha moved house and became the “next door neighbor” to the one who would be the father of her child. Having lived together for nine years now, they decided to move from Terrarossa to Cercò. They went to live in the house that grandfather Ernesto, a bricklayer, who died at the age of 55, father of Francesco’s mother, built himself, brick by brick. «This house has great sentimental value for us – says father Francesco – And then it is a castle: it is 350 m2 with an immense garden, we are renovating it little by little; elsewhere we could have afforded a small apartment and… with the mortgage.” Trying isn’t too difficult even for Natascia, born in a teeming port city, La Spezia: «Here you live so well – she says – I like the tranquility and you can be in the open air».
The second born
Just move a little into the village and there is the house of Tommaso, born inVersilia hospital just over a month ago, son of Ilaria Loiacono, 36 years old, from Milan, and from Daniele Forfori, 42 years old, Lunigiana from the village of Cecina from Fivizzano. How did they meet? Lunigiana convict. «I’ve always known him – replies mother Ilaria who works in a real estate agency in Licciana Nardi – because he lived in my grandfather’s home town». Their story began six years ago. One wonders what it is like to go from Milan to Cercò. «It was gradual, passing through Terrarossa. I really like the serenity of this place – he replies – And I think it is definitely better, today, to raise a child here rather than in a big city”. And then there’s Natascia: «We lived the whole pregnancy together and we became friends, we see each other often».
Welcome
If his lucid pragmatism were not known, perhaps the mayor would speak of a miracle Matteo Mastrini who already has a welcome ready for the two new citizens: «We have ministerial funding – he announces – and we will spend it to restore the municipal road that from Cercò leads to the provincial road that connects Barbarasco (of Tresana) with Montedivalli (of Podenzana )», a route along which small villages like Cercò pop up here and there. The two births blow on the wind of rebirth of a Lunigiana that is wavering under the numbers of depopulation and enthuse the mayor of Tresana where on average no more than ten children are born per year: «We will also do other things – concludes Mastrini – For example, these two children will have to play in a beautiful square.”
