Matteo Collura's 80th birthday

Eighty years old and still going strong. I'm referring to the years of journalist and writer Matteo Collura , who yesterday afternoon, in the monumental hall of the Lucchesiana Library in Agrigento , celebrated his birthday with his "traveling companions," those who, each with their own friendships and intellectual contributions, have marked his journey. The initiative was conceived and coordinated by Enzo Sardo, Diego Romeo, and Don Angelo Chillura . Yesterday, as we were saying, was the first of three events scheduled to celebrate the man, the journalist, and the writer . The second event will be on August 1st at Palazzo Bellacera in Comitini , which houses a small but valuable sulfur museum . Finally, on August 8th , at the Leonardo Sciascia Foundation , where his works and all the material documenting his activity will be exhibited, including the letters that formed his correspondence with Leonardo Sciascia .

Yesterday the documentary “Il maestro di Regalpetra” was screened (already screened in Racalmuto in 2021 ) directed by Diego Romeo , made with the text by Matteo Collura and filmed in the Sciascian places in Sicily and in Milan, in the Municipal Library where Sciascia went to admire Stendhal's memorabilia . The event was opened by greetings from the director of the Lucchesiana Don Angelo Chillura .

Many dignitaries were present for the occasion. Among others, we remember the mayor of Agrigento, Francesco Miccichè , the president of the Free Municipal Consortium of Agrigento, Giuseppe Pendolino , the deputy prefect Antonino Volpe , the mayor of Racalmuto, Calogero Bongiorno , and the president of the Sicana and Sicilcassa Foundation of Caltanissetta, Giuseppe Di Forti , who financed the commemorative volume with testimonies from some friends and the original cover by the Agrigento painter Gianni Provenzano . Also noteworthy is the tribute from the president of the Agrigento Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society, Enza Ierna , and the artistic intervention by the Medicartista Salvatore Nocera Bracco . Finally, for the occasion, the bibliographical, documentary, and iconographic exhibition of the writer was inaugurated, curated by Cristina Iacono with Filomena Capobianco, Salvatore Baldo, and Raimonda Paci .

"Our first goal," Enzo Sardo explained, "was to capture the key moments of his life, the cultural values he embodied, and the affections of his friends, relatives, and admirers. So we created a program of activities that will unfold over three days."

The second event will be on August 1st at Palazzo Bellacera in Comitini , which houses a small but valuable sulfur museum . The place is very significant for Matteo because in 1988 he published 'Baltico' , in which he describes the history and epic of the Sicilian and Grotte sulfur miners , deformed by the tiring work in unhealthy and dangerous environments. It is worth remembering that, at the beginning of the last century, in the Comitini area there were numerous sulfur mines where thousands of people worked. Therefore, Comitini is a natural setting for the biographies that Matteo has published. At Palazzo Bellacera, an exhibition dedicated to his works will be set up and the film “Eterno visionario” by Michele Placido will be screened, based on the book “Il gioco delle parti, vita straordinaria di Luigi Pirandello” , which Matteo Collura published in 2010 .

Finally, on August 8th , at the Leonardo Sciascia Foundation , we will exhibit his works and all the material documenting his activity , including the letters that formed his correspondence with Leonardo Sciascia . And the documentary "The Master of Regalpetra" by Diego Romeo will be shown again.

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