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It was the Milazzo seafront, at the foot of the monument dedicated to Luigi Rizzo, that was the setting for the change at the top of the Port Authority – Coast Guard. Frigate captain Giovanni Pigna assumed command, taking over from his colleague Alessandro Sarro, in a land he had already known at the beginning of his career and to which he returns today with a wealth of experience gained in other roles in the Navy. The ceremony was attended by Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, maritime director of Eastern Sicily, numerous civil, military and religious authorities of the city and the province, including the mayor of Milazzo Pippo Midili and the mayor of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Melangela Scolaro, representatives of the police forces, local institutions, port and maritime entities and associations operating in the area.
For Pigna it is above all a return full of meaning. «A land that already welcomed me more than ten years ago and which I rediscover with great pleasure» he said, commenting on the emotion of a ceremony which took on a particular meaning because «it was an opportunity to remember the young Aurelio Visalli (40 years old, non-commissioned officer of the Coast Guard serving at the Port Authority of Milazzo, who died on 26 September 2020 in the waters of the Tono bay while trying to rescue some boys in difficulty) and Giuseppe Tusa (30 years old, deputy chief of the Coast Guard originally from Milazzo who on 7 May 2013, while serving at the VTS in the port of Genoa, lost his life in the collapse of the Piloti Tower, overwhelmed by the ship Jolly Nero. He was 30 years old and was one of the nine victims of the tragedy).
A memory pronounced right in front of the monument dedicated to Admiral Luigi Rizzo, hero of Premuda, a symbolic figure in the history of the Navy. «I am happy to return to this land which welcomed me back and made me feel immediately at home», added Pigna. The new commander finds himself leading a complex and articulated territorial reality, in which a strong industrial and commercial presence, an important port system and an environmental heritage of great value coexist.
«It is a vast area, where there is a lively industrial, commercial and port reality and, at the same time, a reality rich in scenic beauty, with high-value biodiversity that needs protection and the fulfillment of our institutional tasks», he explained. A vision in which the function of the Harbor Office is not limited to navigation safety and sea surveillance, but is intertwined with the protection of the environment, the valorisation of the territory and the relationship with the institutions and the community. And precisely the relationship with the territory and the ability to work as a team will be central elements of the new command. «Knowing how to command means above all knowing how to generate community spirit», said Pigna, explaining that his action will continue in the direction already traced by his predecessor. «My mission, among other things, continues in the wake of that already traced by Commander Sarro». Pigna arrives in Milazzo after a professional journey that had already led him to get to know the Sicilian territory closely. From September 2015 to 2017 he led the Maritime District Office of Sant’Agata di Militello, before continuing his career with other roles in the Navy. In 2024 he was engaged in the Petty Officer School of the Navy in Taranto. The handover also represented the moment of farewell to frigate captain Alessandro Sarro, at the helm of the Port Authority of Milazzo since September 2024. In his speech, Sarro retraced the experience he lived in Milazzo, underlining how important it is to know a territory through direct relationships with people. «In September 2024 I got to know this land and understood that a territory is known by living it and listening to everyone’s voices. Each one introduced me to a piece of this wonderful land.”
A path in which the port represented one of the central elements, also through the comparison with new perspectives and the work carried out in close synergy with the Strait Port System Authority and with the various realities of the territory including the Marine Protected Area, the Welfare Committee of People of the Sea, the Stella Maris association, the “Leonardo da Vinci” technical-technological institute, the Italian Association of people with Down syndrome and the National Association of Sailors of Italy based in Messina and Milazzo with the regional delegate Admiral Santo Giacomo Legrottaglie and the president Salvatore Scopelliti. An activity that has developed even in the most complex moments, including emergencies linked to landings, putting the men and structures of the Captaincy to the test and requiring a constant capacity for collaboration between institutions and operators. In Sarro’s assessment, what emerges above all is the spirit of cohesion typical of those who live by the sea. «I have always led a solid crew» he underlined, highlighting the particular relationship that is created within a command, «made of looks and the ability to listen to everyone’s needs». With the conclusion of the Milazzo experience, a new professional phase opens for Sarro. The next assignment will be at the Naval Academy of Livorno, where he will bring with him the experience gained in recent years and the connection with the territory. «I will bring the sea of Milazzo with me», he said, entrusting these words with the meaning of a relationship that goes beyond the simple professional role. During his speech there was no lack of mention of figures deeply linked to the history and memory of the Navy. Sarro addressed a thought to Admiral Luigi Rizzo and remembered Aurelio Visalli and Giuseppe Tusa, defined as his “guardian angels”.