Farewell to Franco Tentorio, the Mayor Who Defined an Era in Bergamo

Bergamo woke up to news that stopped everyone in their tracks. Franco Tentorio, the man who led our city from the late 1990s into the new millennium, has passed away at the age of 81. This isn't just about losing a former mayor; it feels like a chapter closing on Bergamo’s recent history. I’d seen him around so many times, followed his battles, and today, like so many others, I feel the need to pause for a moment and remember.

It was 1995 when Franco Tentorio won the elections. For us Bergamasques, accustomed to a certain administrative continuity, his arrival brought a breath of fresh air. I remember him talking to people at the market, unfiltered, with a straightforwardness that perhaps has been missing in politics lately. He wasn't one for grand speeches; he faced things head-on, and anyone who knew him knows well that beneath that resolute exterior was a passion for this city that went far beyond the simple institutional role.

He held the reins of the city for two terms, until 2004. Those were complex years: Italy was changing, the province was trying to carve out a new space for itself after the end of the First Republic, and Bergamo had to deal with urban expansion that demanded vision. He wasn't an easy mayor, and maybe that's exactly why he was loved. His legacy is made of tangible things, the kind you can still see today while walking around the city.

The man behind the mayoral sash

It would be impossible to talk about Franco Tentorio without mentioning his visceral connection to Bergamo. Born in '45, a son of another era, he had breathed in the post-war reconstruction and later the desire for renewal of the 1970s. When he sat in the mayor's chair, he knew every decision would be scrutinised. And he never looked away.

His strength was his ability to listen, even to those who didn't share his views. In an era before social media, politics happened in party sections, in clubs, but most of all, out on the streets. And he was a master of that. Those who were his political opponents remember him today with respect, because he knew how to separate heated debate from personal regard. It's a lesson that perhaps is needed today more than ever.

The places and memories of an entire community

If I had to think of a symbol of his work, it wouldn't be a plaque or an inauguration ceremony, but rather the way he interpreted the role. During his tenure, Bergamo saw important projects grow. He used to say that a city isn't built just with construction sites, but with its people. And maybe he was right. Just think of how he managed the dialogue with the productive realities of our area—a fundamental pillar for a city that never forgets it is also a hub for ideas and enterprise.

In recent years, after leaving active political life, it wasn't unusual to run into him in the city centre. A coffee at the bar, a chat with old friends. He still had that air of a practical intellectual, able to talk about anything with the same passion. His passing, which occurred yesterday, leaves a void that goes beyond politics.

For many, it feels like we've lost a point of reference. We don't easily forget those who, like him, built the city we live in. Because the legacy of a good administrator is measured not just in numbers or council sessions, but in the memories left in our squares, our streets, and our everyday lives.

• 1995-1999: First term as mayor, marked by a direct and innovative approach for the time.
• 1999-2004: Re-elected to lead the city, he faced the challenges of the new millennium with the same determination.
• A life for Bergamo: Born in 1945, he lived through decades of change, always remaining a steadfast figure for the community.

Today, Bergamo mourns Franco Tentorio. The national political spotlight may not shine on this, but here, on Via XX Settembre, in Piazza Vecchia, under the porticoes, his absence is deeply felt. Because when a man has given so much of himself to serve his land, the people's gratitude is the only monument that matters. And that is what we are all paying tribute to today, with the silence and respect that true men deserve.