On the top of the Pirellone, the skyscraper of the Lombardy Region, one of the initiatives most followed by the public is renewed in 2026: the totonomi dedicated to the chicks of the peregrine falcons Giò and Giulia. This year the couple gave birth to four young, three males and a female as verified by the experts during the ringing operations, already observed by thousands of curious people through the webcams installed on the roof of the building. And now it’s up to the citizens to give them a name.
The 2026 theme: the Lombard dialect
This year the underlying theme of the vote is the Lombard dialect, chosen to enhance the linguistic roots of the territory. The Lombardy Region opened the online survey inviting citizens to choose between names that recall popular expressions and local traditions. Each user can express up to three preferences for males and one for females. The survey will remain active until May 17th, while the official results will be announced the following day, May 18th. You can vote by clicking on this link.
The names in the competition (and their translation)
The list of male names includes typical proposals from the popular lexicon such as Balòss (which translates as brat, mischievous person), Sciur (gentleman), Cumenda (commendatore, successful entrepreneur), Ninin (little one), Gnaro (boy) and Bagàj (boy). For the female, however, the choice is between Sciura (lady) and Tusa (girl). The project, in Pirellone’s intentions, also wants to strengthen the bond between citizens and intangible cultural heritage, making the names of newborns part of the public narrative of the city.
The brood of 2026: four chicks
The history of this pair of urban birds of prey is now consolidated: Giò and Giulia chose the Pirellone as a nesting site in 2014, during maintenance work on the skyscraper, and since then they have returned there permanently every year. The roof of the building, located 125 meters above sea level, has become a real city nest, one of the most observed in Europe thanks to the live filming system.
This year the first and second chicks were born on April 6th, a few hours apart from each other, while the third was born on April 8th. The fourth baby, however, was born on April 10th at 10.07am. With the births of 2026, the total number of chicks born over the years by this couple rises to 35 specimens, a figure that highlights both the continuity of nesting and the ability of peregrine falcons to adapt perfectly to the urban environment.
You might also be interested in:
