Umbria Governor Catiuscia Marini
said Tuesday that the 44th Umbria Jazz festival will seek to
prove that the region is in fine fettle after the recent
earthquakes that hit central Italy.
"We are giving this edition of Umbria Jazz a truly special
job - that of showing the world that Umbria is in perfect shape,
ready to welcome people in the best possible way, not just the
jazz enthusiasts who traditionally take part in the musical
events, but also the many tourists who want to choose our
region," Marini said.
"Umbria Jazz has been present right from August 24 (when the
first quake in the series struck), with initiatives for the
people hit by the earthquakes," she added as she presented the
festival with regional culture chief Fernanda Cecchini.
"It did this with solidarity events and with the heart.
"Now we ask for a greater effort. That of helping us to get
our economy going fully again, above all the areas linked to
tourism, to manufacturing, to food and wine, to the environment
and that, along with culture, represent the cornerstones of our
regional fabric.
"They involve hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises
that have been suffering for too many months, due to the
indirect damage caused by the quakes.
"Umbria Jazz has always been a great ambassador of our region
and it is the event that, more than any other, has managed to
get Umbria known all over the world.
"We think that the 2017 festival is the best instrument with
which to take Umbria and its cities back into international
focus".
Marini concluded by thanking Deputy Lower House Speaker
Marina Sereni for a legislative initiative conducted with other
lawmakers from the ruling coalition and from the opposition to
have Umbria Jazz inserted into the list of major cultural events
supported directly by the culture ministry.
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