Fosse Ardeatine, in Tarquinia the memory of the 335 victims through the book by Avagliano and Palmieri

News – Monday 22 April in the Peace Park located inside the citadel of the humanitarian association Semi di pace

Tarquinia – We receive and publish – On Monday 22 April 2024, with the memory of the eightieth anniversary of the Fosse Ardeatine massacre, a structured program of initiatives organized in collaboration with the ANPI section of Tarquinia and with the committee of Coop members of Tarquinia, to celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the liberation of Tarquinia from Nazi-fascism, which took place on 10 June 1944.

The book just published by Mario Avagliano and Marco Palmieri for Einaudi collects the biographies of all 335 victims of the massacre, including 13 natives or from partisan formations in the Viterbo area. The book, which presents itself as a sort of Italian Spoon River Anthology, is the result of very serious and detailed research which has allowed the authors to tell for the first time the personal stories of the victims whose stories had been lost over time and to clarify the context and reasons for the retaliation.

The work is based on authentic sources: letters, diaries, interviews with relatives, archive documents preserved in the historical police office, the central political record, the historical Museum of Liberation, the Anfim, the association of family members, the files from the Kappler trial and the trials of fascists after the war. The memory that becomes history to return to being shared memory, founding memory of the anti-fascist and democratic identity of Italians.

The day of April 22nd at the Peace Park is divided into two important moments. In the morning, the author Mario Avagliano will meet the students of the IISS “Vincenzo Cardarelli” and of the “San Benedetto” private institute of Tarquinia and of the “Santa Rosa” high school of Viterbo, who will have an active role, having prepared during the course of a laboratory readings and interpretations of some passages taken from the letters and messages of the victims. Monica Calzolari, scientific director of the Peace Park, Ugo La Rosa, president of ANPI – Tarquinia Section, Lello Dell’Ariccia, who escaped deportation and president of Progetto Memoria, will also participate in the meeting presented and moderated by Professor Alberta Iacobini.

In the afternoon at 5.00 pm Valerio Strinati of the ANPI of Rome, historian and former parliamentary advisor to the Senate, will present the book in a meeting open to all citizens with the participation of Mario Avagliano, author of the book, Monica Calzolari, scientific director of the Peace Park, Enrico Mezzetti, president of ANPI – provincial committee of Viterbo, Ugo La Rosa, president of ANPI – Tarquinia section, Claudio Cantina, vice-president of the Coop Tarquinia members committee. Piero Rosati will read some passages taken from the letters and messages of the victims.

Starting from the book by Avagliano and Palmieri, we will remember the 335 victims and all 23 thousand people, including many women and children, defenseless victims of violent acts, massacres and massacres committed by the Nazi-fascists. A memory necessary more than ever at this moment, to motivate, support and promote our commitment to peace. “When your body is no longer your spirit will be even more alive in the memory of those who remain. Let me be an example.”

Seeds of Peace Association

April 19, 2024