Who was Giuliano Pellegrini?

Who was Giuliano Pellegrini

5 April 1955 – 21 September 2021

Giuliano Pellegrini was a figure who embodied the idea of reviving the ties forged during the First World War between the inhabitants of the Valle di Ledro and those of Czech and Moravian villages.

He was born in the village of Pieve di Ledro (province of Trento). He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Brescia. He was commander of the Pieve di Ledro Fire Brigade (1979–2000). During his tenure, he played an active role in life-saving operations following the dam burst in Stava (Val di Fiemme) in 1985, the floods in Canelli (Piedmont) in 1994, the earthquake in Assisi (Umbria) in 1997, and the Arcobaleno mission in Kosovo and Albania in 1999. Between 2000 and 2010, he served as mayor of Pieve di Ledro, and from 2010 to 2015 he continued in the role of councillor for the Association of Municipalities of Valle di Ledro. In 2015, he and his son founded the Birrificio Artigianale Leder brewery in Valle di Ledro, where they brew beer inspired by Czech beers, for which the brewery has received numerous international awards.

Pellegrini succeeded in forging a strong bond between our municipalities and those in Italy, and during his political tenure as chairman of the Association of Municipalities of the Valle di Ledro, he played a key role in the signing of the Partnership Agreement. On 14 October 2011, he was awarded the Gratias Agit prize by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad.

On 16 August 2022, Giuliano Pellegrini was posthumously awarded a medal of merit by the Příbram District Fire Brigade.

In the park, you can relax on a designer bench created by Mr Giuliano Pellegrini.

The Italian-Czech ‘Bohemia mia’ project

In 2008 and 2009, Giuliano Pellegrini, in collaboration with Claudio Colotto and former mayors of the municipalities, succeeded in creating a unique project fostering modern friendship between the Czech Republic and Italy. The project was highly successful, not least because it was built on the powerful story of historical ties and family friendships between the inhabitants of the Valle di Ledra and Czech towns and villages, particularly the Příbram region, Buštěhrad, Nový Knín, Všení, Milín, Ptice, Chyňava and Doksy. Four years of Italians and Czechs living side by side during the First World War forged strong bonds between Czech and Italian families. These friendships endured even after their return to their homeland, surviving both the Second World War and the long period of Communist totalitarianism, which did little to foster the development of these relationships.

After the Velvet Revolution, opportunities to reconnect arose. It was Giuliano Pellegrini who, drawing on historical documents, photographs and letters, succeeded in creating a project of modern European friendship. From 2008 to the present day, there have been many reciprocal visits between the people of both countries.

The ‘Destination: Příbram’ Sculpture Group

The sculpture was donated by the municipality of Valle di Ledro to the town of Příbram to mark the opening of the park by Čekalíkovský Pond, as a token of gratitude for the good care provided to Italian refugees from the Ledro Valley during the First World War. The work was created under the artistic direction of Massimiliano Rosa.

The sculpture, created by Giovanni Bailoni, an artist from Riva del Garda, conveys the hardship and difficulty of the journey undertaken by the displaced people from the Valle di Ledro. It is made of larch wood, reinforced with iron and covered with iron plates and sheets. This technique is characteristic of the artist.

The family of four, carrying a bundle of personal belongings and food tied together, faithfully captures the situation during the sudden evacuation. The people were forced to leave their native region and were sent in cattle wagons to a completely unknown destination – to Bohemia, to Příbram.

Who Was Giuliano Pellegrini

5 April 1955 – 21 September 2021

Giuliano Pellegrini was the man who brought to life the idea of restoring the ties that had been forged during the First World War between the inhabitants of the Valle di Ledro and those of the Czech and Moravian villages.

He was born in Pieve di Ledro (in the province of Trento). He studied engineering at the University of Brescia. He served as commander of the fire brigade in the municipality of Pieve di Ledro (1979–2000). During his career, he played an active role in rescue operations following the Stava dam breach in Val di Fiemme in 1985, the flood in Canelli (Piedmont) in 1994, the earthquake in Assisi (Umbria) in 1997 and the Arcobaleno mission in Kosovo and Albania in 1999. From 2000 to 2010 he served as Mayor of Pieve di Ledro and from 2010 to 2015 he continued as a councillor for the Association of Municipalities of Valle di Ledro. In 2015, he and his son founded the Birrificio Artigianale Leder brewery in Valle di Ledro, where they brew beer inspired by Czech styles, for which the brewery has received numerous international awards.

Pellegrini succeeded in forging a strong bond between our municipalities and those in Italy, and during his political tenure as President of the Union of Municipalities of Valle di Ledro, he played a key role in the signing of the Partnership Agreement. On 14 October 2011, he was awarded the Gratias Agit prize by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad.

On 16 August 2022, Giuliano Pellegrini was posthumously awarded the Medal of Merit by the Příbram District Fire Brigade.

In the park, you can relax on the bench designed by Giuliano Pellegrini.

Czech-Italian Project “Bohemia mia”

In 2008 and 2009, Giuliano Pellegrini, in collaboration with Claudio Colotto and former mayors of local authorities, succeeded in creating a unique project fostering modern friendship between the Czech Republic and Italy. The project was also a great success because it was rooted in the strong history of family friendships between the inhabitants of the Alpine Ledro Valley near Lake Garda and Czech towns and villages, particularly in Příbram, Buštěhrad, Nový Knín, Všeň, Milín, Ptice, Chyňava and Doksy. Four years of living together during the First World War forged strong bonds between Czech and Italian families. These bonds endured after their return home, through another world war and the long period of communist totalitarianism, which did little to foster the development of these relations. Following the Velvet Revolution, opportunities for renewed contact emerged. It was Giuliano Pellegrini who, drawing on historical documents, photographs and letters, succeeded in creating a robust project of modern European friendship between the Czech and Italian families. From 2008 to the present day, countless active exchanges and mutual visits have taken place between the inhabitants of both regions.  

Sculpture Destination – Příbram

The sculpture was donated by the municipality of Valle di Ledro to the town of Příbram to mark the opening of the park at Čekalíkovský Pond, as a token of gratitude for the care shown to Italian refugees from the Ledro Valley during the First World War. The work was created under the artistic direction of Massimiliano Rosa.

The sculpture, created by Giovanni Bailoni, an artist from Riva del Garda, depicts the hardship and difficulty of the journey undertaken by the displaced people of the Valle di Ledro. It is made of larch wood, reinforced with iron, and covered with sheets of iron and metal. This technique is characteristic of the artist.

A family of four carrying a bundle of personal belongings and food truly captures the situation during the immediate evacuation. The people were forced to leave their homeland and were transported in cattle lorries to a completely unknown destination – to Bohemia, to Příbram.

Who was Giuliano Pellegrini

5 April 1955 – 21 September 2021

Giuliano Pellegrini was a figure who brought to fruition the idea of reviving the ties forged many years ago during the First World War between the inhabitants of the Ledro Valley and those of the Bohemian and Moravian municipalities.

Giuliano Pellegrini was born in Pieve di Ledro (province of Trento). He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Brescia. He served as commander of the fire brigade in the municipality of Pieve di Ledro (1979–2000). During his tenure, he played an active role in life-saving operations following the Stava dam collapse (northern Italy) in 1985, during the Canelli floods (Piedmont) in 1994, during the Assisi earthquake (Umbria) in 1997, and during Operation Rainbow in Kosovo and Albania in 1999. Between 2000 and 2010, he served as mayor of the municipality of Pieve di Ledro, and from 2010 to 2015 he continued as a councillor for the unified municipality of Ledro. In 2015, he and his son founded the Leder Craft Brewery in the Ledro Valley, where they produce beer inspired by Czech styles, for which the brewery has received numerous international awards.

Pellegrini has succeeded in forging a strong bond between our municipalities and those in the valley, and during his political tenure as president of the Union of Municipalities of the Ledro Valley, he was the driving force behind the Twinning Agreement, which took place on 28 June 2008.

On 14 October 2011, Giuliano Pellegrini received the ‘Gratias agit’ award for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. On 16 August 2022, Giuliano Pellegrini was posthumously awarded a medal of merit by the Příbram District Fire Brigade.

In the park, visitors can relax on a bench named after Giuliano Pellegrini.

The Italian-Czech ‘Bohemia mia’ project

In 2008 and 2009, Giuliano Pellegrini, in collaboration with Claudio Colotta and the mayors of the former municipalities, succeeded in creating a unique project fostering modern friendship between the Czech Republic and Italy. The project was a great success, not least because it was built on a strong foundation of historical ties of family friendship between the inhabitants of the Ledro Valley near Lake Garda and Czech towns and villages, in particular Příbram, Buštěhrad, Nový Knín, Všeň, Milín, Ptice, Chyňava and Doksy. Four years of coexistence between the people of Ledro and the Czechs during the First World War forged strong bonds between Czech and Italian families. After their return home, a few years later the Second World War broke out and subsequently, in what was then Czechoslovakia, there was a long period of communist totalitarianism, which did not encourage the development of these relationships.

Following the Velvet Revolution, opportunities arose to re-establish contact. It was Giuliano Pellegrini who, drawing on historical documents, photographs and letters, succeeded in creating a project of modern European friendship. From 2008 to the present day, there have been countless active exchanges and reciprocal visits between residents of both countries.

The sculpture: Destination Příbram

The sculpture, which was donated to the town of Příbram by the Municipality of Ledro as a token of gratitude for looking after the Italian inhabitants of the Ledro Valley during the First World War, was installed to mark the opening of the park surrounding Čekalík Pond.  The work was created under the artistic direction of Massimiliano Rosa.

The sculpture, created by Giovanni Bailoni, an artist from Riva del Garda, expresses the bewilderment and hardship experienced by refugees from the Ledro Valley during their journey. The structure of the sculpture is made of larch wood, reinforced with iron, and clad with iron plates and sheet metal. This technique is characteristic of the artist Giovanni Bailoni.

The family consists of four figures carrying a bundle of personal belongings and food. The work vividly depicts a family who were forced to leave their homeland during the evacuation and were sent in cattle lorries towards the unknown. Thus began their journey to a completely unknown destination: Příbram in the Czech Republic.