Prignano sulla Secchia · 1945–1959
Fourteen years at the service of a community wounded by war: from liberation to reconstruction, attentive to people and the concrete needs of the area.
After Professor Gino Macchioni resigned, Castagnetti took charge of the municipal administration in October 1945. On 4 April 1946 the council confirmed him with fifteen votes out of nineteen.
He remained at the head of Prignano for three terms, through the decisive years of material and civic reconstruction. The Municipal Council accepted his resignation on 27 June 1959.
Food, fuel, housing, refugees, returning servicemen, unemployment and help for families were among the first post-war emergencies. Schools, meals, books and medical care were essential for children across a scattered mountain territory.
Aqueducts and sewerage became priorities in response to concrete health needs. Roads, bridges, electricity, telephone links and soil protection gradually reconnected the hamlets and supported agricultural work.
Archival records and testimony describe a sober administration rooted in presence throughout the territory, listening and practical action. Political differences did not prevent attention to those in need.
His public responsibility cannot be separated from his work, family life and moral outlook: the same person is visible in each sphere.