The celebrations officially began on Thursday 17th May with the inauguration of the “Icaro e Icona” exhibition. The “Icaro e Icona” exhibition of Aeropainting, medallic art and heraldry was inaugurated at the Church of Sant'Egidio, officially launching the celebrations for the 75th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Viterbo Military Airport.
In the presence of the civil and military authorities of the City of Viterbo, Colonel Coppola, Commander of the Air Force Marshals School and Airport, and Councillor Claudio Ubertini, representing the Mayor, cut the tricolour ribbon, signifying the opening of the exhibition. In his inaugural speech, Colonel Antonio Coppola recalled the importance of the celebration as a significant opportunity to meet the people of Viterbo and the entire Tuscia region, and to strengthen the bonds between the city and the Armed Force that has been present in the Viterbo area for 75 years. Colonel Coppola also outlined all the events scheduled until June 12th, thanking the Institutions, organisations close to the Armed Force, and the department personnel who contributed to the realisation of the various initiatives.
Councillor Ubertini, in turn, recalling the importance of the Air Force's presence in Viterbo, congratulated them on the events put on, through which the already strong bond between the Armed Force and the capital of Tuscia is consolidated.
The Aero-Painting Exhibition is spread across three exhibition spaces unified by the same theme: a passion for flight and military life. In the Aero-Painting section, several canvases created by the painter Marcella Mencherini are on display, who expressed great satisfaction at having had the opportunity to exhibit her works in Viterbo. The Medallist section displays, among other items, commemorative medals from the Normal Courses of the NCO School, from the 3rd “Chiron” to the 14th “Reshef”, and six medallions depicting the distinctive emblems of the Normal Courses of the NCO School, from the 8th ’Izar“ to the 13th ”Phoenix“, all created by the artist Luciano Zanelli. Finally, the Military Heraldry section displays the pennants of the fourth generation of the Normal Courses of the Air Force Academy and all the pennants from the NCO School Courses.
The celebrations for the 75th Anniversary will continue according to the following schedule:
Until 22nd May, the exhibition of aeropainting, medallic art, and heraldry will be open at the Church of Sant'Egidio in Viterbo, featuring works by Masters Mencherini and Zanelli (opening hours 10:00-12:30, 17:00-20:00).;
On 26 May, the 1st “Aquathlon del Tricolore” Trophy will take place, an innovative sporting competition based on two distinct events: a 200-metre “Swim” and a 4.5 km run, with a single final classification. The event, reserved exclusively for personnel of the Armed Forces and State Armed Corps or those militarily organised and serving in the Province of Viterbo, will be held within the Airport using the existing sports facilities (meeting scheduled for 08:00).;
– From 21st to 27th May, at the Tuscia Shopping Centre in Viterbo, the flight simulator of the prestigious Frecce Tricolori will be on display, which all visitors can try;
– From 1st to 12th June, a photographic exhibition on the “Tommaso Fabbri” Airport and the Italian Air Force will be held at the Church of the Almadiani in Viterbo (opening hours 10:00 AM-12:30 PM, 5:00 PM-8:00 PM), with a section dedicated to the STS 134 mission, in which Colonel Roberto Vittori participated, and to Italian space achievements;
On 5th June at 5:00 PM, the historical book produced for the occasion of the Department's 75th anniversary will be presented in the Sala Regia of Viterbo Town Hall;
– The 10th of June, the concluding day, features a Reunion of former unit members and personnel who completed their military service in Viterbo within Military Aeronautical Vigilance (VAM), during which a Holy Mass will be celebrated in remembrance of the Fallen, and the Airport will be open to the public from 14:00, during which the following events will be organised:
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Regularity Trial by the “Veteran Car Club” of Viterbo;
5.00 PM – 6.00 PM Aerial performance of model aircraft, helicopters, and hot-air balloons with the participation of the Viterbo Aeromodelling Association;
6.00 PM – 8.00 PM Live broadcast of the football match “Italy – Spain” for Euro 2012 on the big screen;
8:30 PM – 9:45 PM Concert by the “US Navy 6th Fleet Big Band”;
10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Grand finale with “l’Orchestralunata” in concert, conducted by Maestro Maurizio Gregori and with the special participation of comedian Roberto Valentino.
During the final day, the public will also be able to visit the aircraft on static display. There will also be complementary recreational and sports areas, flight simulators on display, and refreshment points for families.
For further information, please visit the website: http://www.aeroportoviterbo75.it. or contact the Organising Committee's secretariat on 0761.3552666 or by email at
info@aeroportoviterbo75.it.
