Piazza Garibaldi and Villa Comunale
(20th century)
On 18th May 1913 Giuseppe Palombella, Mayor of Giovinazzo, attended one of the most important appointments of his political life: the grand opening of the Town Park. It was the fulfilment of his dream of nearly thirty years, since Palombella was the young president of the Vittorio Emanuele II Hospice. Giuseppe Palombella with his dark suit and proud stance walked up to the podium. The murmurs of the crowd hushed and his measured words echoed with great significance. He spoke not just of a garden but a revolutionary idea for the time: the townspeople, not just the upper classes, deserved a place where they could walk, rest and enjoy the beauty of nature. “As the gentlemen have their villas, their gardens, their woods, it is right that the people should also have this” he declared. This was an unprecedented statement: the right to green spaces was not a concession but the recognition of the work and sacrifice of those who served the community day by day.
Palombella was well aware of all the problems faced before arriving at this moment: his request in 1886 to create a green space open to everyone, the slow pace of bureaucracy, signing the acts in 1887 which conceded the land to the town council. The vast green area which was cultivated by the students of the Hospice could finally become a true Town Park.
When Palombella met Giuseppe Lanari, an engineer from Molfetta, the project took on new life. Lanari was a forward-thinking man and understood immediately that in order to create the gardens, the area could not be isolated. He took the bold decision to demolish part of the Fire Station in order to open up a new road. This road is Corso Amedeo, a road which connects the main square to the train station and would open new possibilities of urban development around the park.
In 2013, a century after the opening, the community of Giovinazzo decided to honour Giuseppe Palombella, the man who had believed in this project and dedicated the park to him. Today the bust of Giuseppe Palombella stands among the tree-lined paths in the park, the symbol of vision living on in the memory of the community.
