On Thursday 7 May, FERROVIENORD’s Milano Cadorna station hosted In viaggio con San Francesco (“Travelling with St Francis”), an event organised by FNM as part of the official celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures. Actor and director Massimiliano Finazzer Flory, accompanied by Carlotta Limonta and Cecilia Croce, presented a free-admission performance combining theatre, music and dance, with several events throughout the day.
THE PERFORMANCE – Four performances, at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., took place throughout the afternoon and evening in the station concourse and main entrance corridor, combining songs, dance and readings. The first three performances, each lasting 20 minutes, were followed by a final 40-minute show.
The afternoon’s soundtrack featured Gracias a la vida by Violeta Parra and Smisurata preghiera by Fabrizio De André. The dance performances were accompanied by Duet and Different Trains by Steve Reich, Magnificat by Arvo Pärt and Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah.
The readings included San Francesco, from Long Live Man by Gregory Corso; Breve inno alla letizia, from La ferita, la letizia – Faccia a faccia con San Francesco by Davide Rondoni; and L’altra poesia dei doni, from L’altro, lo stesso by Jorge Luis Borges.
THE CELEBRATIONS – For FNM, taking part in the official celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures means commemorating an anniversary deeply connected to the country’s civic history and to a tradition of community service, closeness to others and care for vulnerable people that the Franciscan legacy has fostered over the centuries.
The choice of Milano Cadorna was no coincidence: stations are not merely transport hubs but can also become spaces for encounters, urban regeneration and new relationships. In other words, they can provide welcoming places for people’s stories and vulnerabilities, including through innovative approaches to community engagement and solidarity.
Our Press Office is available to journalists, researchers, and stakeholders to provide information on institutional activities, as well as video and photographic materials, and more.
