EDITORIAL – UVODNIK

The thirty-five years of Isonzo Soča.
Thirty-five years with Dario Stasi and Luciano De Gironcoli

We returned. Or rather, we never left. And we will certainly not do so with this latest issue, which sees the light of day a year after the passing of our dear Editor and founder Dario Stasi and after that, a few days ago, of a historical contributor to the magazine since its inception: Luciano De Gironcoli. This issue will only remind us of how much these two people have meant and given not only to this magazine over the years but, also how important they have been to the culture of these places and all that they have done for it to be established, as an added value, in these our lands. The pages that follow here will draw not only an intimate and personal portrait of these friends of ours but, will give the figure of what this magazine has become in its thirty-five years of life through their writings, their stances and the various initiatives implemented by them and all the contributors who over all these years have shared the need to have a cultural tool on par with this magazine to convey and make known the broad and complex history of these our lands. We are on the eve of that appointment that, now five years ago, sanctioned Nova Gorica and Gorica to become one of the very few examples in Europe of cross-border cities that can share the title of European City of Culture, and that is for 2025.
For Dario Stasi and for Luciano de Gironcoli, this year-long appointment, and not only related to it but, protracted in the following years as well, could only have been a confirmation of their continuous efforts to make interested readers understand the complexity and variety of the historical events of these our lands since the earliest times.
The Exhibition “The Long Century” , presented now ten years ago in 2015 was a good and comprehensive example of this complexity. Even ten years ago these topics were in the intentions and desires of our magazine.

We believe, without fear of contradiction that, at least on the side of the many future initiatives that will take place in the coming year in the two conterminous cities there may be an opportunity to recognize these two people for their foresight in always having worked to make this happen.

Thirty-five years spent raising awareness, understanding and demonstrating the extent to which these places of ours have, over the centuries, experienced and shared a truly complex and articulate history. All this would then be realized, with the concurrence of the two municipalities, in the prestigious award in the coming 2025. With this issue, Andrea Bellavite takes over the reins of the magazine’s editorship in place of the late Dario Stasi.
To him, from the entire editorial staff go the best wishes for good work in the hope of further implementing readers’ interest in the magazine’s characteristic issues.