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".
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