San Cristoforo patrono di Barga

Celebrations for St Christopher the Patron Saint of Barga took place today with the "San Cristoforo d'oro" awards ceremony and a long torchlight procession through the streets of Barga up to the Duomo.

The Premio San Cristoforo d'Oro (Golden St Christopher medals) named for Barga's ancient patron, Saint Christopher, are presented each year to celebrate extraordinary contributions to the town and its people. 

The list of people  honoured with the medal this year:

Paolo Nutini
Dott. Salvatore Orlando
Don Ruggero Bencivenni
Don Alessandro Pierotti
Keane
Marta Cola
Jacques Mazzei
Luigi Bondielli
Fratelli Lucchesi
Fratelli Moscardini
Laura Gonnella
Giorgio Macciantelli
Nicholas Hunt

Mayor Umberto Sereni said the awards recognised people who had helped to raise Barga's profile across the world.

It was important that we did something to honour the citizens of Barga. Many places do it but Barga was not one of them so we decided to use our patron saint as a symbol of pride and identity for the town. Every year we honour people who have stood out and done something in Barga or across the world.

Images from the award ceremony during 2003 | 2005 are here

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10 Responses to “San Cristoforo patrono di Barga”

Comments

1. Monacu Jul 24 2007 / 8pm

   BARGANEWS EDITOR WINS TOWN’S HIGHEST HONOR

   By Frank Viviano and Riccardo Negri
   Barganews Staff Reporters

   When the history of Italy in the 21st century is written, there’s reason to believe that Barga will command more attention than Roma, Milano or Firenze. The reason, in a single word, is “Keane:” the founder, editor, chief reporter and brilliant portrait painter of Barganews.com. Nowhere, thanks to him, is the daily life of an Italian community more thoroughly – and movingly – documented than ours.

   Yesterday at the Teatro dei Differenti, Barga formally recognized this unique achievement with its highest honor, the Premio San Cristoforo d’Oro. Named for Barga’s ancient patron, Saint Christopher, the award is presented each year to celebrate extraordinary contributions to the town and its people.

   Since Barganews went online in June, 2000, an estimated six million Internet visits – 600 times Barga’s own population – have been made to the site, which blends comprehensive local news coverage with lively public debate on its open forum and blogs. In the past seven years, Barganews has published more than 4,000 articles on nostro paese, accompanied by tens of thousands of photographs and other images. Nearly all of them were written or produced by Keane himself.

   PREMIO SAN CRISTOFORO D’ORO AL CAPO DI BARGANEWS

   Quando sarà scritta la storia d’Italia del 21 sec., ci sarà ragione di credere che Barga attirerà piu attenzione di Roma, Milano o Firenze. La spiegazione, in una parola, sarà Keane — fondatore, editore, giornalista e pittore brillante del ritratto colletivo di Barganews.com. Da nessuna parte, grazie a lui, la vita quotidiana di una comunità italiana è stata mai documentata piu comprensivamente ed in modo cosi commovente.

   Ieri, al Teatro dei Differenti, Barga ha formalmente riconosciuto questo contributo, consegnandoli il premio San Cristoforo d’oro, la più importante onorificenze del paese.

   Dal momento in cui Barganews è apparso su Internet, nel Giugno del 2000, circa 6 milioni di persone lo hanno visitato, 600 volte la popolazione di Barga. Il sito è un collage di notizie locali e punto d’incontro per dibattitti, discussioni ed impressioni. Negli ultimi 7 anni Barganews ha pubblicato piu di 4.000 articoli sul nostro paese, accompagnati da migliaia di foto e altre immagini. Tutto questo ad opera di Keane.
2. Mizio Jul 25 2007 / 7am

   All the best to keane, eventually someone noticed his piece of work…

   Cheers !!!
3. Deety Jul 25 2007 / 9am

   San Keane-Stoforo

   Yesterday we celebrated the elongating of the man with one name, the man who put privy into privacy and privacy into privy.

   For years he has been calmly ambling around the walled city innovatively exposing his ever-increasing pixels to the unsuspecting public and menacing them with his bathroom polls and chewing gum bins, his paintshoped walls and vanishing gnomes, his buzzing apes and bright umbrellas, his painted signs and bereaved brown paper, his clanging bells and trolley-full hunchback, his medieval sauna and bar-coded books all very cleverly veiled behind his charming smiling vagrant bearded clean-cut looks.

   All this moniker business couldn’t go unnoticed and therefore the man with one name has finally been honoured and double barrelled into stardom.
4. dannyboy Jul 26 2007 / 3am

   Hooray for you, Keane.

   You really are the man at the Barga pivot point for all of us wanna-be Barghigiani (and for lots of other folks, too).

   I can’t thank you enough for my daily, high-quality, Barga fix.

   Also, if it’s not too late, please say hello to Paolo Nutini on behalf of my daughter. She’s bummed that our visits to Barga never coincide with Paolo’s.
5. Carlo Zambonini Jul 26 2007 / 12pm

   Congratulations Keane and thanks for everything.
   I hope the gong raises the profile of this very gentle man and the work he is doing for his adopted home. Had it not been for Keane and his web site my family and I would never have returned to Barga. Three years back on a long cold winters night in Aberdeenshire I was scouring the corners of the world wide web looking for “a place in the sun” to holiday, Lucca was a strong favourite. I image Googgled Lucca for hotels some of the links were from Barganews and the rest is history. I had not been to the village for some forty years and the wonderful light touch of the web site took me back to my childhood. The fond memories of the wee walled city came flooding back. I have since returned for two fantastic holidays with my wife and children and next year will holiday in Barga with a party of sixteen friends and family members thanks to Keane. I hope the promoters, movers and shakers of the village do indeed respect and reward the massive contribution this unassuming man has made.
   Hats off to the city fathers for the nomination and warmest congratulations go to Keane from the Zambonini family in Aberdeen.
   Ciao.
6. rhazckal Jul 28 2007 / 10am

   Grande Keane, complimenti!
   Bella anche l’atmosfera in teatro e sopratutto ganzissimo il pavimento a scacchiera bianca e nera su cui vi hanno premiato.

   Keane = Mr. Cool

Blog posts on this article

1. Barga at night - Pasticceria Fratelli Lucchesi at barganews Feb 25 2008 / 12pm

   […] gave its highest honour, the Premio San Cristoforo d’Oro to the Lucchesi brothers. (article here) Named for Barga’s ancient patron, Saint Christopher, the award is presented to celebrate […]
2. Barga at night - Pasticceria Fratelli Lucchesi - Chocolate at barganews Mar 20 2008 / 1am

   […] gave its highest honour, the Premio San Cristoforo d’Oro to the Lucchesi brothers. (article here) Named for Barga’s ancient patron, Saint Christopher, the award is presented to celebrate […]
3. Scottish High Rollers in Barga ? at barganews Mar 22 2008 / 12am

   […] be the owner ranging from John Bellany the painter (discounted as he does not drink) to the singer Paolo Nutini - yes he does drink but could it really be him returning to his origins with a BARGA plated roller? […]
4. Concerto Lirico di Gala dedicated to Giacomo Puccini at barganews Apr 13 2008 / 12am

   […] This morning Dennis and the complete student body were presented prizes by the Mayor of Barga Umberto Sereni. It was also announced in the Palazzo Pancrazi that Dennis O Neil will be presented in July with the Premio San Cristoforo d’Oro (Golden St Christopher medal) named for Barga’s ancient patron, Saint Christopher, which are presented each year to celebrate extraordinary contributions to the town and its people. (article here) […]

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