Eighty-five thousand Alpini - known as the “black fathers” in Italy - gave life to the parade that concluded the 94th National Meeting of the National Alpine Association yesterday in Udine's historic center. Almost eleven hours of parade in the pouring rain, which did not deter the Alpini marching and did not deter the public turnout: thousands, in fact, crowded behind the barriers that delimited the route and continued to applaud the Alpini with warmth and participation. The parade was also attended by high-level representatives of the government and parliament, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as military authorities. Meloni exited the car and walked the final stretch to the tribune of honor, where she was greeted warmly by the crowd: "Italy needs pride, a sense of belonging, a spirit of service, and the ability to act and share, all of which the Alpini embody," said the premier. "This is why I'm here today, on Mother's Day, because I believe the Alpini have in their hearts not only the family, but also the homeland, as a mother." After nearly eleven hours of parade, the gathering came to a close in front of the tribune of honor with the ritual ceremony of the "passage of the cue" and flag lowering. The "passing of the stick" refers to the symbolic gesture of passing the baton from the city that just hosted the event to the city that will host it the following year. Although it will take a few days to arrive at a final tally, the 94th National Meeting enters the record books with approximately 500,000 presences on regional territory over four days, a presence that, according to the mayor of Udine, should have generated about 100 million euros in economic activity.
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