by InTrieste
On Sunday, May 4, 2025, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini will visit the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia as part of his official visit to Italy. The trip, coordinated by the Honorary Consulate of the Slovak Republic in Trieste, will include a series of meetings with regional and local authorities, as well as commemorative events tied to Slovak-Italian history.
President Pellegrini will be joined by a high-level delegation including Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár and Slovak Ambassador to Italy Karla Matiašco Wursterová.
The visit will begin with the delegation’s arrival at Ronchi dei Legionari airport at 3:00 p.m. From there, the group will travel to the town of Campoformido, where a ceremony is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. at the local municipal building. The event will feature the laying of a wreath at a commemorative plaque honoring General Milan Rastislav Štefánik, a Slovak national hero and key figure in the formation of Czechoslovakia.
Štefánik, who also served as commander of Czechoslovak Legion forces aligned with the Italian army during World War I, took off from Campoformido on May 4, 1919, on what would be his final flight. The aircraft, which also carried Italian pilots Giotto Mancinelli Scotti, Umberto Merlino, and Gabriello Aggiusti, crashed near Bratislava later that day.
As part of the commemoration, a symbolic fabric flower from the project Non Omnis Moriar (“Not All of Me Shall Die”) will be presented to honor the fallen of the First World War.
At 4:00 p.m., a brief historical reenactment will take place at the Campoformido airfield, featuring a Caproni Ca.33 biplane—similar to the aircraft used by Štefánik—provided by the Jonathan Collection Foundation. The ceremony will include performances of the Slovak and Italian national anthems by the Alpine Brigade Julia’s brass band and speeches by several dignitaries, including President Pellegrini and regional officials.
Later in the day, President Pellegrini is scheduled to meet with Friuli Venezia Giulia President Massimiliano Fedriga, Regional Vice President Mario Anzil, and the mayors of Trieste, Campoformido, and Pasian di Prato—Roberto Dipiazza, Massimiliano Petri, and Andrea Peressini, respectively.
The Slovak delegation will also visit the Port of Trieste, where they will be welcomed by Special Commissioner Zeno D’Agostino and meet with the incoming president of the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority, Francesco Gurrieri.
The visit aims to deepen diplomatic and economic ties between Slovakia and Italy while paying tribute to a shared historical legacy.
