On Friday the 23rd, the presentation of the book “Franco Zappa - I fought for freedom and justice” took place in Sondalo, a significant cultural event organized for the celebrations of Saint Agnes.

The initiative is part of a now consolidated path: in fact, it is the third consecutive year that the Municipality of Sondalo, the Library, and various local associations promote meetings dedicated to the history and culture of the area, with the aim of enhancing the memory and identity of the Sondalina community.

After focusing in previous years on the Siamo Alpi project promoted by the Valtellina Museum System – which collects images and historical testimonies of the territory – this year's edition has been dedicated to one of the most important figures in the history of Sondalo: Franco Zappa.

In a very well-attended evening, the author Carlo Zanesi presented the volume, offering the audience an intense and profound portrait of a man who left an indelible mark on local and national history. The book represents a rightful tribute to the memory of Franco Zappa, made possible by the valuable support of his family.

Describing Franco Zappa in a few words is reductive. Born and died in Sondalo, where he still rests today, he was a young partisan leader in the mountains of Alta Valtellina during the struggle for liberation from Nazifascism, an experience he recounted with great clarity and attention in his diary-testimony. For twenty-five years, he was a municipal councilor in Sondalo and also served as a provincial councilor in Sondrio. A lawyer attentive and sensitive to the social issues of his time, he dealt with complex topics such as emigration and smuggling. He served as a deputy in Parliament as part of the Italian Socialist Party, the only parliamentarian in the history of Sondalo, for three legislatures until 1972. As President of the Justice Commission, he introduced for the first time in parliamentary debate major issues related to civil and social rights, such as child adoption, divorce, and conscientious objection. Thanks to his commitment, mandatory anti-tuberculosis vaccination became national law in 1970. Franco Zappa held many roles, but he was above all a Sondalino deeply proud of his origins, always connected to his town and his community.

The presentation of the book was repeated on Saturday morning for the students of the secondary schools of Sondalo, an institution that has been named after Franco Zappa since 2018, offering new generations the opportunity to learn about a fundamental figure in the civil and democratic history of the area.