Trieste Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri

From May 31 to June 20, 2018, there was the tenth stop of the Journey of the Constitution: Trieste. The city was associated with the theme of the tenth article, the right to asylum. The traveling exhibition celebrating the 70th birthday of the Constitutional Charter was hosted at the CRAL Hall of the Maritime Station. The project is sponsored by the Prime Minister’s Office and coordinated by the Mission Structure for Anniversaries of National Interest.

The opening ceremony was held on May 31 in the presence of Government Commissioner in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Prefect of Trieste Annapaola Porzio, Trieste Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, and University of Trieste Chancellor Maurizio Fermeglia.

The Trieste stage, the tenth, focused on Article 10 of the Constitution – “The Italian legal system conforms to the generally recognized norms of international law. The legal status of the foreigner is regulated by law in accordance with international norms and treaties. A foreigner, who is prevented in his country from effectively exercising the democratic freedoms guaranteed by the Italian Constitution, has the right of asylum in the territory of the Republic, according to the conditions established by law. Extradition of the foreigner for political offenses is not allowed”-and introduced an opportunity for dialogue on the topic of “Right of Asylum.”

The traveling exhibition on the Constitution, with free admission, was enriched with graphic and multimedia insights: historical footage, famous phrases of key figures, and audio commentaries on the 12 fundamental articles entrusted to the words of Roberto Benigni. At the end of the tour, visitors were able to renew their adherence to the Constitutional Charter with a symbolic act: the affixing of a “virtual” signature next to that of the Constituent Fathers.

In the year of the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Italian Constitution, this project aimed to trace a symbolic path between the birth of the Republic and our days, thus creating a representative space open to citizenship. At the end of the stage, the Constitution continued its journey to the cities of Assisi and Reggio Emilia.