by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Elisa Lodi, Trieste Councilor for Real Estate Heritage and Sports
The Municipality of Trieste has dedicated the gymnasium of the “Virgilio Giotti” and “Giani Stuparich” school complex, in Strada di Rozzol 61, to the memory of Giovanni “Gianni” Cernoia, a long-serving municipal communications officer who passed away in January 2024.
The decision was approved by the Giunta comunale (municipal executive) following a proposal by Elisa Lodi, councillor for sport, and the “Amici di Gianni” (Friends of Gianni), an informal group of colleagues and associates who promoted the tribute. Vittorio Sgueglia della Marra, director of the Servizio Informazione Istituzionale e Open Government (Institutional Information and Open Government Service), attended the ceremony alongside Cernoia’s wife, Lorena, members of the “Amici di Gianni” group, and Daria Parma, principal of the Istituto Comprensivo Tiziana Weiss.
Cernoia joined the Comune di Trieste in 1984 and worked across several departments over the course of four decades, most notably at the Ufficio Stampa del Gabinetto del Sindaco (Mayor’s Cabinet Press Office) and, in later years, at the Servizio Informazione Istituzionale e Open Government.
“Gianni Cernoia was a historic figure for the Municipality of Trieste, who gave so much in terms of professionalism, competence, and dedication,” Lodi said during the ceremony. She also highlighted his longstanding commitment to amateur and youth sport.
The gymnasium, which underwent major renovation works completed in October 2025, was chosen in recognition of Cernoia’s deep passion for sport and youth activities, according to a municipal press release. The commemorative plaque was unveiled on 11 May 2026.
