On May 30, the City Council of Nettuno voted on a proposed resolution to declare baseball an “intangible cultural heritage” of the central Italian community, agreeing unanimously in favor. This decision is a crucial first step toward the city’s goal of earning recognition for Nettuno baseball by UNESCO. In the same session, Nettuno’s councillors also agreed to establish Cooperstown (N.Y.) as a twin city.
The event began with a festival [see flier below], with a ceremonial procession that featured a brass band, several youth baseball teams, and fans [video]. After proceeding inside, Mayor Nicola Burrini [pictured right] welcomed Deb DiMaggio [left], granddaughter of Joe DiMaggio, offering mementos of the city’s history with baseball and the U.S. military.
The proposal, which has not been published, began as petition with more than 400 signatures, and was debated by the city council in an Extraordinary General Meeting [video]. Each of the 21 councillors (out of 25) present voted in favor of the resolution.
“Nettuno is the city of Baseball — this sport is part of our history, our tradition, and the passion that we put into what we do,” noted Burrini in a statement [link] (translation by author). “This is a starting point, the first step, for achieving the goal of having this beautiful sport recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.”
According to Il Caffe [link], the proposal provides for future initiatives to promote and develop baseball in the city. Among the objectives indicated are cultural, educational, and exhibition activities aimed at schools, associations, and the region. The Municipality of Nettuno also aims to stimulate projects dedicated to the history of baseball in Nettuno and encourage its transmission to new generations.
Baseball’s first game to Nettuno after the Allied landing in 1944. Multiple U.S. military bases were established in Lazio, the region around Rome, with U.S. soldiers bringing gloves and bats in their gear. As happened in so many places in Europe, baseball was not only recreational, but actively used as a tool of friendship. By the following year, Alberto Fasano founded the first club in Nettuno, now known as Nettuno 1945. Since then, the club has won 17 national championships, an Italian record, plus four editions of the Coppa Italia, and seven Champions Cups as the best European club. The wording of the document intentionally stressed the criteria necessary to apply for UNESCO’s “Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage,” passed in 2003 and ratified by Italy in 2007 [link].
“Events like this make it clear the commitment that this Administration intends to place both in supporting and promoting baseball, and in international friendly relations that lead to common social, economic and cultural growth,” said the Assessor to Sport and Twinning, Marco Federici.
The Village of Cooperstown has not made an annnouncment yet. Neither Nettuno 1945 B.C. or Nettuno Baseball Academy has made a public statement regarding the passage of the resolution or twinning of Nettuno with Cooperstown. However, representatives of past Nettuno clubs were out in force according to Il Granchio [link], including ex-managers Alberto De Carolis and Franco Piras. The list of former players included Bruno Laurenzi, Valerio Mastrantonio, Gianni Cancelli, Pietro Cianfriglia, Enzo Lauri, Sergio Morville, Paolo Catanzani, Ruggero Bagialemani, Pietro Monaco, Ettore Morellini, Massimiliano Masini, Marco Mingardi, and Giampiero Faraone.
Photos courtesy Nicola Burrini. Translation by Gabriel Fidler.
