Sgarbi becomes mayor in fourth town

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 16 - Art historian and polemicist Vittorio Sgarbi became the mayor of his fourth ever Italian town in the local elections Sunday and Monday, voted in as first citizen of the hilltown near Frosinone south of Rome that produced Roman orator and philosopher Ciceco and his near-contemporary the Roman general Marius, Arpino (ancient Arpinum).
    Ferrara-born Sgarbi, 71, a big TV personality and one of Italy's foremost art critics and historians, had previously been mayor of a San Severino Marche, in the province of Macerata in Marche, then at Salemi near Trapani, and most recently at Sutri in the province of Viterbo.
    The tireless and waspish cultural warrior is also culture undersecretary in Italy's rightwing government, beauty executive councillor at Viterbo, deputy mayor of Urbino and likely future councillor at Latina, not far from Arpino.
    "It's lucky I only sleep thee or four hours a day, at night I work and receive peddler of works of art," said the larger than life figure. So I have time on my hands".
    Sgarbi vowed to make Arpino, which is already known for its annual Cicero-inspired Latin translation contest, "into the centre of the world".
    Asked about his electoral success, he mused "how can they ever vote for anyone else?" He also said he would not leave his post as culture undersecratary saying "how can I, I'm the sponsor of all the Italian borghi". (ANSA).