Villanova mourns the passing of Marcella Gilio, the woman who, over the years, created a "forest" at the entrance to her home on Via Piccioni. She died yesterday at the age of 88. She was known to many, not just residents. Anyone who passed that narrow street in Cagliari's historic neighborhood at least once must have seen all the plants she tended every day. That stretch of street had become a famous spot, photographed by thousands of people, including tourists.

"She was among the first to create floral decorations in the neighborhood," is the moving recollection of Giuseppe Vacca, one of the most active residents in the many initiatives organized in Villanova. "With her, an important part of the neighborhood's life has gone. That small stretch of Via Piccioni has also been featured in magazines celebrating Cagliari around the world. Winner of several editions of the "Balconies in Flower in Villanova" competition, from the early 1990s to today, she was known to everyone, residents and non-residents alike. With her passing, which follows shortly after that of the unforgettable Assunta Pisu, a piece of Villanova's life and history will be lost, and that stretch of Via Piccioni will never be the same again. The residents of the neighborhood and the entire community extend their deepest sympathies to the family for this great loss."

The final farewell to the "gardener of Villanova" will be tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 pm in the church of San Giacomo, in the square of the same name, just a few steps from where she lived.

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