Meloni makes surprise visit to Alpini gathering on 50th anniversary of Friuli earthquake

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise appearance at the 3rd Alpini Triveneto gathering in Gemona del Friuli on Sunday, walking part of the parade and greeting crowds. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Friuli earthquake, a 6.4-magnitude tremor that killed nearly 1,000 people and injured over 3,000.

“I needed a bit of healthy national pride, and if you can't find it here, I don't know where else you could.”

She also thanked the Alpini for their "extraordinary work during the Olympics and beyond." The visit came after Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani had urged her to return following a May 6 ceremony with President Sergio Mattarella. Ciriani noted this was her first public outing after recent international controversy, calling her presence "a great, extraordinary tribute to the history of Friuli, the Alpini, and the earthquake."

The gathering's final day featured a historic train from Treviso, a parade through the town centre, and the traditional 'Stecca' handover between local Alpini sections.