Chilean exile murals at Terni stadium risk removal due to new stadium plans

Murals painted in 1975 by Chilean exiles at the Stadio Libero Liberati in Terni, Italy, are at risk of removal due to plans to build a new stadium. The murals, created by the Brigata Pablo Neruda, depict the exiles' dreams of a free, egalitarian, and anti-fascist Chile. An appeal by local associations and the Curva Est fan group calls for the Soprintendenza to protect the works. Among the artists was Antonio Arevalo, then a 17-year-old exile who later became a prominent art critic and curator, and was named representative of Chilean culture in Italy by President Michelle Bachelet. Arevalo recalls painting four murals at the stadium with three other young exiles: Carmen, Rodrigo, and Claudia. The murals were recently restored after fading. Arevalo, now based in Viterbo, also painted murals in Pistoia. The murals are considered a unique testimony of international solidarity and historical memory in Italy.