Ferrara, August 7, 2026 – “A disaster”, Roberta Bigoni, owner of the Astra establishment (Estensi) yesterday morning could not believe her eyes. “The maranza are back, this way we cannot go on. We must find a solution,” she said, facing that scene made of umbrellas and twisted sunbeds. The damage is extensive. “The vandals broke ten umbrellas and some sunbeds. One umbrella disappeared, I have made an appeal to colleagues. If by chance they find it,” great bitterness. On the night between Tuesday and Wednesday the first raid.
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The vandals had filled the walkway to the sea with pieces of glass
The vandals, besides damaging the umbrellas, had also thrown on the ground, along the walkway to the sea, shards of glass from gin and whisky bottles that they had ‘taken’ and drunk. For several hours the lifeguards had to clean the beach, look for the pieces of glass, remove them. “I bought, always at my own expense, a machine that is used to clean the coastline. What they did was a criminal act, everyone passes through there, families, children. Everyone. I urge the parents of these boys to explain to their children that you don’t go to the beach at night.”
“The beaches have always been an ideal location, hospitality is our calling card”
A few hours, the nightmare again. “Not just the damage”, she explains. Even yesterday morning they spent hours fixing the establishment. “Tourism is Comacchio’s strength and we roll up our sleeves every day to welcome holidaymakers, to give them the best. Here families, young people feel good, the beaches have always been an ideal location, a place of relaxation. Hospitality is our job, our identity card.” And precisely to carry out this ‘mission’ they ask for security for their businesses, more controls, a response from the institutions.
The appeal to law enforcement to increase surveillance on the beaches
Just as Nicola Ghedini, a prominent figure of Cna Balneari, has done, who in these hours has launched an appeal to law enforcement to increase surveillance on the beaches, to give a concrete and immediate response also in view of what is the peak of the season, the Ferragosto period. “Our priority must be one. To guarantee tourists who come to our beaches to spend peaceful and relaxing holidays on our beaches, especially now that we are approaching Ferragosto. To achieve this goal it is necessary that the bath managers can also operate in peace,” the heartfelt appeal of the national, regional and provincial president of Balneari Cna. “It is necessary to think about the Ferragosto period – the core of his intervention –. We ask law enforcement and the Municipality, as far as it is within their possibilities and competences, to give us a hand, planning extraordinary surveillance along the beaches on the days and nights of the upcoming weekends.”
Fences and gates around the baths?
The Municipality has been on the front line on the security front of the baths since its establishment. The other day the Administration announced that street tutors will be deployed. The delegate for security is Michele Tanese, 61 years old, deputy mayor of Comacchio, right-hand man of the mayor Samuele Bellotti. “We are defining a plan to install cameras in all establishments. It is still an embryonic project, but thanks to this the electronic eyes will monitor all activities.” Work is also underway on compensation and surveillance. But, as Ghedini strongly reiterates, it must be done quickly. The establishments are also joining forces, with calls from many sides to put fences and gates around the structures. “We must protect the chairs and tables of the restaurants, authorized closures are needed. If the maranza get in there too, it’s over.”
