Twelve steps bearing twenty-two names can be found at the entrance to the Gonzaga School Campus in Palermo to commemorate some of the witnesses of civil commitment, who became innocent victims of the mafia.

The inauguration of the staircase took place on May 23, the Remembrance Day of all the victims of the Capaci massacre. Whilst climbing this staircase to reach the classrooms one can read the names written on each stair which is intended to be a powerful sign and above all a metaphor that combines the memory of innocent victims with the social and civil commitment of citizens and hope that must be cultivated every day.

The week of legality

This initiative was set up at the conclusion of the various events and meetings that characterized the Week of Legality 2021. "The idea of the staircase was inspired from one of Falcone's quotes: values ​​do not die because they have to walk on our legs and will continue to walk on the legs of those who will come later on", Fr. Vitangelo Denora, director of the Gonzga Campus highlights. “These stairs will be climbed every day by our young people who will read the names of the people who sacrificed their lives to transmit those values ​​that restore greater dignity to our tormented land. The purpose of all this is to be a sign of social responsibility which we want to share with our young people for the world to come ».

A route that has to be constructed every day

Legality is a route that we must build every day,” Fr. Gianni Notari said «through our solid commitment which must become a consistent testimony of the values ​​of our life. On each step there are written two names of people who have been killed by those who wanted to disrupt their commitment for a better society. Together we must all fight against mafia crimes which still pose as an absurd manipulation of consciences. Those who are more fragile and who are in difficulty must be helped today through concrete signs and actions of solidarity in all its forms. We must walk together with young people to be witnesses of justice. I think that credible life stories are strongly needed in our time because the use of ideology is no longer sufficient to challenge others. Instead, it is necessary to be witnesses of a life lived to the full which demonstrates that the heart can be open to new possibilities. Often, it is not great research that inspires us, but the concrete life of those who have testified that it is possible to contribute to the growth of a new world. The names that are on our staircase are of those people who have fully invested in the protection of legality because they have written pages about their life with their blood that can be read by the new generations to become a powerful influence of renewal and social transformation ».