In Castellino del Biferno goes up or down. There is no plain in this small town in southern Italy, in the Molise region. We arrived here after walking 20 kilometers along a winding road of curves and countercurves that separate this village of 552 inhabitants of the city of Campobasso.
They had recommended that we leave our rental car, a Fiat 500, at the squarea space 10 meters in diameter where there are a bar and some customers sitting with their backs against the wall to see who passes by. They scrutinize us when we get out of the car, wondering, surely, about the contents of our light blue bag folded in four.
From there, we climbed about 300 meters until we found the building. giallo (yellow), communal headquarters two floors and an auditorium on the ground floor with capacity for half the town, where we are greeted by the only employee in sight for six unpopulated offices, including the office of the mayor (alcalde), Enrico Fratangelo.
In 2020, during the Covid pandemicEnrico promoted the creation of coins and banknotes bearing the image of Diego Maradonalegal tender in this small Italian town.
“The commune offered social assistance because it only received 5,500 euros from the government. With the ducats – that’s what these special tickets are called – people could buy at least the essentials,” explains Enrico upon arriving at his office, with wet hair, jean pants and a black T-shirt, while apologizing for the delay and offering coffee.
Since then, the municipality has had a double role: mint and banking since the ducats They are exchanged 1 to 1 with the euro at the communal headquarters.
¿Why this devotion to Maradona?which led him to print banknotes and mint coins with different images of the Ten?
In a black t-shirt and jeans, the mayor of Castellino del Biferno, Enrico Fratangelo in his meeting with the Argentine traveler.“Diego not only restored our dignity, but also represents the cultural, economic and political change of southern Italy. There is a before and after of Diego in Naples,” says Enrico about the Argentine footballer and insists: “Maradona is the counter-hero of the Resurgence. “He is the hero of the south of the world.”
What are Maradona’s coins and bills like?
Las quasi-currencies they are called ducats (duchies) in homage to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Enrico Fratangelo is a southernist with neo-Bourbon sympathies.
The exchange of presents is the moment in which we explore each of the Maradonian duchies: on his desk is the light blue bag with Maradona’s face, which we carried, along with a refrigerator magnet with the figure of the soccer star and a keychain.
Enrico gives us the equivalent of 200 euros, which can only be used in this town.
The first 2 ducat coin with the face of Diego Maradona was minted on December 24, 2020.
The 2 ducat coin, the first with the image of Diego minted in Castellino del Biferno. Photo Roberto Luzardi
The 10 ducat coin and the inscription D10S. Photo Roberto LuzardiThe 10 coin is imposing: Diego with a crown in front and the D10S inscription on the reverse with the sun of the Argentine flag.
The 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 bills are laminated and have their corresponding controller numbering.
In the image of the 50 bill, Diego lifts the 1986 Soccer World Cupwhile the bill equivalent to 100 euros has a central oval with the photo of the “hand of God” and, on the reverse, the inscription Rebel South (Rebel South) and Diego’s face inside a sun.
Castellino del Biferno has less than 600 inhabitants. Photo Roberto LuzardiEnrico approaches a box containing white T-shirts and gives us one that has a very particular print: the Maradona’s birth certificate where it is read that Doña Tota was called Dalma.
“They sent it to me especially from Argentina,” he says proudly.
We said goodbye like two friends who meet at the bar. Going down the same street, the truck that sells fruits and vegetables is still in the same place. The Bamboleo song plays in Italian. We move away from Castellino del Biferno and “Argentinidad a la palo” remains floating.