A year of great losses and change

Italy mourns Giovanni Agnelli and Alberto Sordi but gains the Savoys after 57-year exile

JANUARY

1 • Singer and actor Giorgio Gaber (63) passes away in Montemagno (Lucca).
6 • Actor Massimo Girotti (82) passes away in Rome.
12 • A snowslide on Mont Fallere, near Aosta, kills four.
24 • FIAT honorary president Giovanni Agnelli (81) passes away in Turin.
27 • Day of Remembrance: Vice Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini calls the race laws of 1938 "a shameful page in our national history".
28 • The Court of Cassation rules that the "IMI-SIR/Mondadori Arbitrate" and "SME" trials are to be held in Milan.
29 • Italy grants the USA free use of its bases in case of war against Iraq, but only for re-supplying.

FEBRUARY

1 • Bad weather all over Italy, with snow on Mt. Vesuvius and in Sicily.
10 • Cogne Murder, Annamaria Franzoni is freed on bail.
13 • Due to the new law on false accounting, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is acquitted for expiration of the statutes of limitation charges linked to an investigation on Fininvest 'black funds'.
14 • War on Iraq; Italy grants the USA free use of its transport infrastructures.
15 • Huge peace rally in Rome against the war on Iraq.
21 • In order to avoid blocks set up by the pacifists, the first NATO train carrying war material is forced to a night odyssey between Vicenza and Camp Darby (Pisa).
25 • Alberto Sordi (82) passes away in Rome. On the 27th, 250,000 people attend his funeral.

MARCH

2 • Gunfight on the Rome-Florence train: police superintendent Emanuele Petri and Red Brigades' Mario Galesi die, Red Brigades' Nadia Desdemona Lioce is arrested.
4 • In the Vatican, Pope John Paul II meets unexpectedly with PM Silvio Berlusconi.
8 • Alexia, singing "Per dire no," wins the 53rd edition of the Sanremo Festival.
12 • The Senate passes the Moratti Reform on education.
13 • Singer Roberto Murolo (91) passes away in Naples.
15 • In concert with the World Health Organization, Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia activates the "early warning system" of customs offices against the SARS outbreak.
15 • The House of Savoy returns to Naples, Italy, following 57 years of exile.
18 • Lucia Annunziata is elected President of RAI; on the 26th Flavio Cattaneo is appointed General Manager.
19 • War on Iraq: the Parliament grants the use of military bases, infrastructures, and overflight.
20 • First suspected cases of SARS in Italy, in Milan and Rome, since the worldwide alert.

APRIL

2 • The funeral of Carlo Urbani (47), infective disease specialist killed by SARS in Bangkok on March 29, is held in Castelplanio (Ancona).
4 • Maurizio Minghella, serial killer of prostitutes, is sentenced to life in jail.
9 • The three minors accused of the murder of Desiree Piovanelli, committed in September 2002, get sentenced to 10 to 20 years in jail.
9 • Novi Ligure massacre; the Court of Cassation upholds the sentences of 16 and 14 years in jail for Erika and Omar respectively.
15 • The Parliament gives a green light to an "emergency humanitarian mission" to Iraq.
18 • Red Brigades' Nadia Desdemona Lioce claims responsibility for the murders of Marco Biagi and Massimo D'Antona.
25 • A 9-year old girl in San Biagio di Collalta (Treviso) is seriously wounded in her right eye by an explosive marker left by the "Unabomber of North-eastern Italy".
28 • Actor Ciccio Ingrassia (79) passes away.
29 • At the "IMI-SIR/Mondadori Arbitrate" trial, Cesare Previti gets sentenced to 11 years in jail.

MAY

2 • The Court of Appeals of Palermo upholds Giulio Andreotti's acquittal from charges of belonging to a Mafia-like organization.
2 • Massacre at Aci Castello (Catania): Giuseppe Leotta guns down five people at the local Town Hall and then commits suicide.
5 • At the "SME" trial, PM Berlusconi claims to have interfered with the sale of the company due to "pressing" requests by Bettino Craxi.
7 • At the "Telekom Serbia" trial, Igor Marini mentions Romano Prodi, Lamberto Dini, and Piero Fassino as recipients of an alleged kickback payment.
10 • For the first time a concert is held in the Colosseum: 500,000 assemble to listen to Paul McCartney.
16 • At the "SME" trial, the charges against Silvio Berlusconi are frozen and his position is separated.
26 • Administrative elections: the Centre-Left wins in 5 provinces, including Rome; the Centre-Right wins 4.

JUNE

6 • In Turin, at the Molinette hospital, an eight-month-old girl undergoes the first pediatric liver transplant ever done in Italy, with her father acting as live donor.
8 • All over Italy an early summer brings temperatures over seasonal averages. The summer will be long and hot.
8 • Riccardo Illy is elected as President of Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia for the Centre-Left coalition; in Valle d'Aosta, the Union Valdotaine party wins a majority.
18 • The law establishing immunity for Italy's top five officials the so-called "lodo Schifani", is passed.
16 • An old boat sailing from Tunisia sinks off Lampedusa: seven die, 60 go missing.
22 • Neapolitan singer Sergio Bruni (81) passes away in Rome.
23 • The Verdi, PDCI, Opposizione Civile, and Legambiente submit to the Court of Cassation a referendum for the abrogation of the "lodo Schifani". Antonio Di Pietro also submits one.
26 • Six million people all over Italy suffer a massive blackout caused from surging requests and dropping available energy due to the high temperatures.
27 • The law establishing a point licensing system for drivers enters in force.
27 • Giovanni Erra gets sentenced to life for the murder of Desiree Piovanelli.

JULY

1 • Professor Luigi Di Bella (90), developer of a controversial cancer therapy, passes away in Modena.
2 • Strasbourg: Berlusconi compares Euro-MP Martin Schulz (Germany, SPD party) to a nazi camp warden. The ensuing controversy puts Italian-German relationships at risk.
3 • Totò Riina, Pietro Aglieri and others get sentenced to life in jail

for the massacre at Palermo's via D'Amelio, where justice Paolo Borsellino and five police officers escorting him were murdered.
11 • Undersecretary of State for Production Activities Stefano Stefani resigns following German protests for some remarks.
13 • In Fiano Romano, her native town, actress Sabrina Ferilli marries Andrea Perone.
17 • President of European Commission Romano Prodi proposes that the parties of the Centre-Left coalition run a joint campaign for the 2004 European elections.
29 • Telekom Serbia: Switzerland extradites Igor Marini, arrested in Lugano on May 8.

AUGUST

1 • The Chamber of Deputies passes a pardon that will take effect on August 22. Some 9,000 inmates will benefit from it.
6 • The first Italian case of Mad Cow Disease, a 27-year-old Sicilian woman, dies in Milan.
11 • Heat wave in Italy: 41.6 °C reached in Turin. Seniors' deaths peak.
13 • The biggest lottery win goes to Veduggio (Milan): a Euro 1 ticket rakes in Euro 66 million.
22 • Massacre in Rozzano (Milan). Vito Cosco shoots to kill two men with criminal records, but his shots also kill a young girl and a pensioner. He surrenders three days later.
26 • Welfare Minister Roberto Maroni proposes a 32.7 percent pay hike to people accepting to postpone their retirement, transferring social security contributions to their paychecks.

SEPTEMBER

6 • The Venice Film Festival awards the Golden Lion to Andrej Zvjagintsev's The Return.
9 • Following attacks by pit-bull dogs in several Italian cities, Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia forbids their training.
11 • Controversy erupts after the publication of an interview where Silvio Berlusconi declared, "Mussolini never killed anyone".
16 • Miss Italia 2003 is Sicilian-born Francesca Chillemi (18).
18 • Work is suspended for 15 minutes in every Italian Tribunal in protest for the PM's remarks about judges.
25 • Franco Modigliani (85), Economy Nobel Laureate, passes away.
25 • Over 900,000 signatures promoting the referendum against the "lodo Schifani" are submitted to the Court of Cassation.
25 • Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy marries Clotilde Courau in Rome.
28 • A blackout hits all of Italy except Sardinia. Darkness lasts 19 hours.

OCTOBER

1 • Tony Renis is appointed art director of the next Sanremo Festival.
3 • The government gives a green light to the reform of pensions.
7 • Deputy PM Gianfranco Fini proposes to grant administrative voting rights to legal immigrants.
16 • A solemn Mass for the 25 th anniversary of John Paul II's papacy is held in Piazza San Pietro. On October 19 the Pope proclaims Theresa of Calcutta "blessed".
19 • A boat with Somali immigrants sinks off Lampedusa. Only 13 corpses are recovered but survivors speak of 85 victims.
20 • The Court of Appeals sentences the three minors involved in the murder of Desiree Piovanelli to periods in jail between 10 and 18 years.
21 • The Pope appoints 31 new Cardinals.
24 • A police operation in Rome nets the alleged members of the Red Brigades guilty of the murders of Massimo D'Antona and Marco Biagi.
24 • About one and a half million people rally in several Italian cities against the reform of pensions.
25 • The Tribunale of L'Aquila orders the removal of crucifixes from a kindergarten in Ofena. The order is revoked on November 29, waiting for a ruling by a superior court.
30 • Pecorelli murder: the Court of Cassation acquits Giulio Andreotti.

NOVEMBER

5 • The Chamber of Deputies blocks the reform of the Tribunals for Minors. Controversies within the Majority due to MPs voting with the Opposition.
13 • The Government designate Scanzano Jonico (Matera) as the location of the future nuclear waste dump. After protests and roadblocks, on November 27 Scanzano is dropped from the text of the decree. The Bill on illicit drugs is passed.
15 • The DS, Margherita, and SDI parties accept the idea of a common campaign for the European elections. The SDI party refuses to let Di Pietro's party in.
17 • The Imam of Carmagnola is expelled from Italy.
21 • A bottle of mineral water is tampered with in Ostiglia (Mantova). Many more will follow.
22 • SME: Cesare Previti is sentenced to 5 years in jail.
22 • Clemente Mastella's UDEUR and Mino Martinazzoli's movement merge in a new party called Alleanza Popolare.
24 • Gianfranco Fini, during an official visit to Jerusalem, calls Fascism "absolute evil".
27 • Alessandra Mussolini leaves the party.

DECEMBER

1 • A strike of public transport paralyzes Milan.
2 • A decree restructuring the radio and TV system is approved by the Parliament, but on the 15th President Ciampi sends it back to the Chambers.
6 • Rome: the Unions hold rallies against the reform of pensions.
11 • The Senate passes a bill on assisted procreation: it will only be allowed for married and de facto couples.
16 • Marta Russo murder: the Court of Cassation upholds the sentences for Giovanni Scattone and Salvatore Ferraro, though with reduced terms. Francesco Liparota is acquitted.
16 • A Warrant of Arrest is issued for Igor Marini, charged with slandering Prodi, Dini, Fassino and others in relation to the Telekom Serbia affair.
19 • The Parmalat crisis explodes: Bank of America denies the existence of Euro 3.9 billion, Parmalat stocks drop 66 percent on the Stock Exchange.
20 • In the traditional year's end press conference, PM Berlusconi points his finger to the introduction of euro for the price hike. EU President Prodi calls these "lies".
20 • A base of the Red Brigades is discovered in Rome. On the following day Diana Blefari Melozzi is arrested.

Publication Date: 2004-01-11
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3530