New Arsenal Opens on La Maddalena Island
12/09/2009
In the wake of the Italo-Spanish bilateral summit, the new Arsenal on the island of La Maddalena threw open its doors to the general public with a series of exhibitions, screenings and events. Throughout the weekend both visitors from La Maddalena itself and tourists were thus able to discover for themselves what the area holds today in the place of the Italian Navy's former workshops and warehouses.
The Sea House, the most representative building in the entire complex − a cube of glass and basalt suspended over the water − hosted an exhibition of paintings by Carlo Battaglia.
The hulls of Mascalzone Latino, the Italian yacht which took part in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the second most important sailing regata in the world, were on display in the vicinity of the Molo Carbone. In fact, the waters of the Maddalena archipelago are due to host a leg of the famous regata in the spring of 2010, and the port of the Arsenal will be providing berthing for the competing boats. Mascalzone Latino was also the star in an exhibition set up in the Sea Pavilion consisting of historical video screenings and of a stand promoting the Sailing Center known as the Centro Velico di Caprera, which held a display at 11.30 on Sunday morning.
The Arsenal Residences, a large hotel complex looking out over the dock, hosted more visits, video screenings and an exhibition of photographs by Luca Cittadini, while a refreshment area was set up in the Arsenal Arcades. The backdrop for the exhibitions and events planned over the two-day weekend was provided by historic ships from the Italian Navy and from the Latin Sail Association riding at anchor in the port. Last but not least, the Brigata Sassari provided a lot of music, and a fireworks display was staged over the sea at 23.30 on Sunday to bring the event to a close.
On the last day on which the complex was open to the general public, Commissioner Delegate for the G8 Guido Bertolaso briefed the media on the work done on reclaiming and restoring the area ahead of the Summit, ideally handing over to the inhabitants of the Maddalena archipelago and the Gallura region the keys to the island's "reborn" Arsenal, a legacy of buildings and structures erected in record time and ready to be used to impart to the area a fresh boost on the international stage: "All the conditions are in place for this splendid complex to become a focal point in the tourist, conference and sports fields for the whole of the Mediterranean".
