Covering most of the public events in Barga there are generally three, sometimes four photographers, plus on large occasions – one television crew. It has been a game of recent years, played by the documenting media in the city to get their shots of the action but without the other photographers in the frame.
Generally, it is quite easy, as there is a kind of gentleman’s agreement between the photographers who make sure that they don’t stray into the viewfinder of their fellow “snappers”. They all tend to to move in, take their shot and then retreat leaving the scene free for the others….. and then there is Paolo.
A scan through images of the events in Barga over the past 5 or 6 years will quickly show, a tall distinguished figure who appears more often than not. It is the figure of Paolo Marroni. There have been very few public events, where he has not had a hand organising backstage and then front of stage.
He has been the most available, hands on, unflappable public face of the cultural office in Palazzo Pancrazi
Taking a photograph of an event without Paolo in the frame takes skill, tenacity, good timing, and sometimes some uncanny Photoshop skills.
That is until today.
This morning Paolo Marroni attended a festa in his honour at the Palazzo Pancrazi to celebrate his retirement.
I personally want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Paolo for all his work over the past few years. He has been a constant supporter of barganews. He has opened up opportunities and possibilities for this project when very few people had even heard of the Internet or the world wide web.
His office was always open, but that was only half of the story as Paolo worked from first thing in the morning until late at night, seven days a week if necessary, and quite often, it was – and apart from the times when he would recharge his batteries and escape Barga for brief holidays on his motorbike or on the sea – the man was always available.
He carries in his head an idea of what is good for his beloved Barga and anything that is good for Barga gets his unstinting help and support.
His colleagues in the town hall presented him this morning with what looked like a parachute pack but which was probably luggage … intriguing thought, if it was actually a parachute….hmmm
Well, the story doesn’t end here. Yes, he has now retired from working full-time in the cultural office of the town hall but that is not to say that he will be resting on his laurels, twiddling his thumbs or gazing into the distance. Word on the street is that he will be back once more, working for Barga but this time in the more independent manner. Watch this space
When anything needed to be done at the Commune, it was Paolo who got it done. That was one of the first lessons a newcomer learned in Barga.