Alfredo Pirri designs Gramsci memorials for Turi and Tirana

Artist Alfredo Pirri (born Cosenza, 1957) has been commissioned to create two public artworks linking Turi, Italy, and Tirana, Albania, in memory of Antonio Gramsci. The project, titled "Compagni ed Angeli," stems from an agreement signed in Bari by Puglia Region President Michele Emiliano and Albanian Minister of Culture Mirela Kumbaro. In Turi, Pirri will make accessible the prison cell where Gramsci was held from 1928 until his health deteriorated; in Tirana, a cultural center for young artists will be built in a garden adjacent to the Ministry of Culture. The title references the song "La Rosa di Turi" by Al Darawish, inspired by Gramsci's letters to his sister-in-law Tatiana. The project also involves the rehabilitation of the former Kinostudio Shqiperia film studios. The agreement builds on a 2016 protocol between Puglia and Albania for joint initiatives, including the Biennial of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM). Partners include the Albanian Embassy in Italy and the Gramsci Foundation. Key figures present at the signing included regional culture assessor Loredana Capone, Turi mayor Domenico Coppi, Gramsci Institute president Beppe Vacca, Albanian consul general in Bari, singer Nabil Salameh of Radioderwish, and tourism department director Aldo Patruno. Emiliano emphasized the unifying power of Gramsci's legacy and his dialogue with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.