Meloni drops in at Alpine rally in Gemona, says she needed 'a bit of healthy national pride'
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made an unannounced appearance at the final day of the Triveneto Alpine troops rally in Gemona del Friuli on 21 June 2026, using the occasion to thank the Alpini for their service and to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
Meloni walked part of the parade route, greeting spectators before reaching the VIP stand. She paused at the ANA banner, which is decorated with 26 gold medals, lowering her head in a silent tribute.
Speaking to broadcaster Telefriuli, she explained her reasons for coming.
It had been a while since I passed through here, but I was here for another reason. I thought it was the right thing to do. Let's say I needed a bit of healthy national pride, and if you can't find it here, I don't know where else you could. It was also a chance to thank the Alpini for the extraordinary work they did during the Olympics, and not only during the Olympics. So I came to say thank you to these people.
The visit was only a few hours. Meloni departed shortly before noon after a brief walk among the crowd.
Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani pointed out that the prime minister had accepted his invitation to return to Gemona for the second time in 50 days, following her attendance on 6 May with President Sergio Mattarella for the earthquake anniversary.
Her presence fills us with gratitude and emotion, because never before has a prime minister come to the same place twice in 50 days. Friuli deserved this tribute, and so did the Alpini.
The 2026 edition of the rally was dedicated to the memory of the 1976 earthquake. On 6 May 1976 a quake of magnitude 6.4 struck the region, killing almost a thousand people and injuring more than three thousand. The gathering also included other political figures, among them senator Marco Dreosto, MEP Anna Maria Cisint, and regional councillors Barbara Zilli and Cristina Amirante.
