Pietro Bartolo was born in Lampedusa in 1956 to a large family of fishermen. Bartolo spent his childhood in Lampedusa until the age of 13, when he moved to Trapani to attend a scientific high school, remaining in Trapani foonr three years of high school until deciding to transfer to Siracusa to complete his diploma. In these years, he returned home for the summer holidays, embarking as a sailor on a fishing boat of his fathers, which bore the name “Kennedy.” In Siracusa, he was fortunate to meet Rita, with whom he graduated and continued on to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Catania. After graduation, Pietro Bartolo married Rita, with whom he now has three children. He obtained a specialization in Gynecology and Obstetrics from the University of Catania, and began to work at private clinics in Catania and near Siracusa. However, after a short time Bartolo decided to return home to Lampedusa with his wife and children. There, Bartolo began to lend his services to the people of Lampedusa. In 1991, Bartolo, having won a public competition, became a part of the National Health System, holding from that date the position of Medical Director for the Protection of Lampedusa. In the same year, Lampedusa had become a port of entrance to Europe for numerous African migrants, who since then had begun to reach the coasts. Immediately, Bartolo decided to voluntarily offer his services to welcome and treat all those who had adventured the sea to find a better life, and, still today, is actively committed to their welcoming. Bartolo has had to fortune to save many lives, giving birth to children, but, at the same time, has had to confront less happy circumstances, such as performing many cadaveric inspections on the bodies of those who did not survive the crossing. At his arrival to Lampedusa, Bartolo was appointed to the health office, a doctor of CRI at the island’s airport, director of the medical cabinet of the Air Force and medical school. On the island, Bartolo also worked in community administration, holding the position of Vice Mayor and Health Assessor from 1988 to 1993. His work in Lampedusa for the local and immigrant populations have been awarded with many honors, including: the title of “Paul Harris Fellow” by the International Rotary Foundation (2011), the award “Nunzio Romeo! Conferred by the order of doctors of Messina (2011), the title of “Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” conferred by the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano and by the Prime Minister Metteo Renzi (2014), the award “Sergio Vieira de Mello” conferred in Krakow (2015). Finally, in 2015, Bartolo met the producer GianFranco Rosi, winner of the Leone D’Oro in Venice for the documentary “Sacro G.R.A,” in which he gave permission to film moments of his work which were inserted into the film “Fuocoammare.” Bartolo voluntarily accepted the proposition in hopes of communicating to the world through cinema a clear message: we must understand that concrete actions are needed from those who are still indifferent to the suffering, pain, and death of many people who, in search of a better future, put at risk and sometimes lose their greatest good, life.
Pietro Bartolo was born in Lampedusa in 1956 to a large family of fishermen. Bartolo spent his childhood in Lampedusa until the age of 13, when he moved to Trapani to attend a scientific high school, remaining in Trapani foonr three years of high school until deciding to transfer to Siracusa to complete his diploma. In these years, he returned home for the summer holidays, embarking as a sailor on a fishing boat of his fathers, which bore the name “Kennedy.” In Siracusa, he was fortunate to meet Rita, with whom he graduated and continued on to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Catania. After graduation, Pietro Bartolo married Rita, with whom he now has three children. He obtained a specialization in Gynecology and Obstetrics from the University of Catania, and began to work at private clinics in Catania and near Siracusa. However, after a short time Bartolo decided to return home to Lampedusa with his wife and children. There, Bartolo began to lend his services to the people of Lampedusa. In 1991, Bartolo, having won a public competition, became a part of the National Health System, holding from that date the position of Medical Director for the Protection of Lampedusa. In the same year, Lampedusa had become a port of entrance to Europe for numerous African migrants, who since then had begun to reach the coasts. Immediately, Bartolo decided to voluntarily offer his services to welcome and treat all those who had adventured the sea to find a better life, and, still today, is actively committed to their welcoming. Bartolo has had to fortune to save many lives, giving birth to children, but, at the same time, has had to confront less happy circumstances, such as performing many cadaveric inspections on the bodies of those who did not survive the crossing. At his arrival to Lampedusa, Bartolo was appointed to the health office, a doctor of CRI at the island’s airport, director of the medical cabinet of the Air Force and medical school. On the island, Bartolo also worked in community administration, holding the position of Vice Mayor and Health Assessor from 1988 to 1993. His work in Lampedusa for the local and immigrant populations have been awarded with many honors, including: the title of “Paul Harris Fellow” by the International Rotary Foundation (2011), the award “Nunzio Romeo! Conferred by the order of doctors of Messina (2011), the title of “Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” conferred by the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano and by the Prime Minister Metteo Renzi (2014), the award “Sergio Vieira de Mello” conferred in Krakow (2015). Finally, in 2015, Bartolo met the producer GianFranco Rosi, winner of the Leone D’Oro in Venice for the documentary “Sacro G.R.A,” in which he gave permission to film moments of his work which were inserted into the film “Fuocoammare.” Bartolo voluntarily accepted the proposition in hopes of communicating to the world through cinema a clear message: we must understand that concrete actions are needed from those who are still indifferent to the suffering, pain, and death of many people who, in search of a better future, put at risk and sometimes lose their greatest good, life.