Mourning in Puglia, Annibale D’Elia has died: he was head of the Culture and Tourism Department of the Region

Annibale D’Elia was 57 years old, director of the Culture and Tourism Department of the Puglia Region, who died on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, in a motorcycle accident in Torre a Mare, in the southern area of Bari.

According to initial reports, at the end of the regional council meeting, which he had attended in the afternoon, D’Elia was riding his motorcycle between San Giorgio and Torre a Mare when, for reasons still to be determined, he crashed into a wall on Marina Street. The impact was fatal. The 118 emergency services, who intervened on the scene, were unable to help. The president of the Puglia Region, Antonio Decaro, also went to the site of the accident.

A resident of Bari, a respected manager for his professional and managerial skills, D’Elia had returned to Puglia after holding various positions at the Municipality of Milan. On July 14, 2026, he was appointed head of the Culture and Tourism Department of the Puglia Region, at the suggestion of Governor Antonio Decaro.

In his professional journey, he also played an important role in regional youth policies. Until 2015, he directed the relevant department and, together with the then regional councilor Guglielmo Minervini, was among the protagonists of Bollenti Spiriti, the program that supported young people in Puglia in training paths, project realization, and the creation of new businesses, becoming an experience recognized even beyond regional borders.

The news of his sudden passing has caused deep sorrow in the Puglian institutional world, leaving a void among those who knew his commitment and professional contribution.

Il cordoglio di BTM Italia

Tutto lo staff di BTM Italia esprime le più sentite condoglianze per la scomparsa di Annibale D’Elia e si stringe con sincera partecipazione al dolore della famiglia e dei suoi cari in questo momento di profonda sofferenza.