Pennabilli (Rimini), June 5, 2026 – Tonino Guerra loved to repeat that “beauty will save the world”. And Pennabilli, a splendid village in the Rimini hills where the poet and screenwriter lived for years, is full of beauty. And history. Of art and culture. The Dalai Lama has visited here several times. Many intellectuals have passed through here, and there is one of the oldest (and most famous) antique markets. If he were still alive, who knows what Tonino Guerra (who was a prisoner in a concentration camp) would have said to Mauro Giannini, the former Folgore paratrooper who has governed Pennabilli for 10 years.
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Giannini, a ‘sui generis’ mayor
A sui generis mayor, Giannini. He has repeatedly made headlines for his unequivocal statements. Like “I was born in a black shirt and I will die in a black shirt”. Or again: “If I had a gay son, I wouldn’t have been happy”. A former comrade-in-arms and friend of Vannacci, on Tuesday at the Republic Day celebration, Giannini pulled another one of his stunts: he showed up in a black shirt at the ceremony in the square with the other mayors. All hell broke loose. According to Anpi, “Giannini offends the values of democracy, freedom, and anti-fascism of the June 2nd celebration”. According to the president of Emilia-Romagna, Michele de Pascale, “those who do not recognize themselves in the values of anti-fascism cannot celebrate the Republic”.
Two-faced character: provocateur and hard worker
In Pennabilli, where Mauro Giannini has been in office since 2016 and aims for a third term, few are now surprised by his provocations. Because the character, it must be said, has two faces. Provocative in his public appearances, like when he proudly displays his X Mas tattoos. An tireless worker in the town. When it snows heavily, Giannini goes out with the tractor to clear the roads. If there’s a park or a bench to fix, he doesn’t hold back. It may also be for this reason that in Pennabilli – where there is no term limit, being a municipality of 3,000 inhabitants – many think or fear (depending on the point of view…) that the man who calls himself “born in a black shirt” will remain at the helm of the town for a long time to come.
Venturi. “I have nothing to complain about regarding his work as mayor”
Silvano Venturi, owner of the historic butcher shop in the center of Pennabilli, says it bluntly: “I don’t want to talk about politics. I certainly have different political ideas from Giannini. However, regarding his work as mayor, I have nothing to complain about. And when I had to ask the Municipality for permits to do some things for my business, I always received maximum cooperation”.
“If he runs again, will they vote for him? I think so”
Giorgio, 40 years old, also an owner of a business in the town (“I prefer to avoid my surname, I want to stay out of politics”) has few doubts: “Giannini often has his outbursts, but he is a mayor who gets things done. If he runs again, will they vote for him? I think so: he has always had very high consensus”. Others in the town, at the mere mention of Giannini, prefer not to speak. “If I really say what I think, I won’t have a job anymore…”, a well-known shopkeeper shrugs. “There would be so much to say about Giannini, not just about the black shirt…”, opposition councilors Francesca Arcangeli and Cristina Ferri dismiss the topic.
The minority took to the streets over the ordinance against those hosting refugees
The minority took to the streets in 2023, when Giannini issued the ordinance against those hosting refugees. Since then, little else. Not that criticism has ever stopped the mayor. Not even this time. “I often wear black at ceremonies because it’s elegant. Why does no one say anything when Stefano Bonaccini wears black?”. And again: “I am a republican, I risked my life for my country. Fascism has been gone for 80 years”. But Giannini has his symbols tattooed on his skin.
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