Celebrations for the 79th anniversary of the liberation from Nazi-fascism were held this morning. At 10am, in the presence of institutional and religious officials, the ceremony of laying a laurel wreath took place in honor of the fallen in Piazza Unità Italiana. From there the procession started up to Piazza della Signoria. Among those present were also the mayoral candidates Sara Funaro (Pd) and the former director of the Uffizi Eike Schmidt. The latter wore a handkerchief from the National Association of former deportees to Nazi camps (Aned).
On the arengario of Palazzo Vecchio, in front of thousands of people, the mayor Nardella, the president of Anpi Firenze Vania Bagni and three students of Florentine high schools participating in the project “Resistant paths. Junctions, places, protagonists of the struggle of liberation in the Florentine territory”, created by the Tuscan Historical Institute of the Resistance and the Contemporary Age.
The writer Stefano Massini read Antonio Scurati’s monologue which should have been broadcast on Rai3. (Here is the monologue)
Part of Mayor Dario Nardella’s speech at the ceremony
“Thanks to Stefano Massini, thanks to all of you for being here today in Piazza Signoria where Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler marched in that terrible spring of 1934 and where now instead we echo the words of freedom and anti-fascism. Once again we are called to remember, here in the square, in schools, in places of sociality, in the media, what happened, and we do it in front of all the civil, military and religious authorities whom I thank for their presence and the high representation they demonstrate of institutions. First of all, remember all those who lost their lives in this battle against Nazi-fascism and German occupation”. “Remembering the tragedy of fascism and the split which, as we heard from the words of Stefano Massini, is still present in our country today. It is a patriotic duty to remember what fascism was and what the struggle for Resistance and Liberation was. Liberation Day is first of all a celebration of memory: it serves to remember that only 79 years ago there was no freedom, there were no fundamental rights, there was no democracy and that, thanks to many women and men , we managed to win back.”
“In recent days I have had the opportunity to listen to the radio message of a great man, Sandro Pertini, a fighting partisan, who on 24 April 1945 proclaimed the general strike in Milan: “Citizens, workers! General strike against the German occupation, against the fascist war, for the salvation of our lands, our homes, our workshops, […] place the Germans in front of the dilemma: surrender or perish.”. These words take us back to the days of strike of the workers who, even in Florence, at Pignone and in many other factories in our area, risked their lives and crossed their arms against the Nazi-fascist occupiers. Yesterday Professor Alessandro Barbero was together with the workers at Pignone and we thank him because it was a high moment of memory and civility”.
“Florence had already concluded its battle for liberation in April 1945. Many fellow citizens actively engaged in the fight against the regime and emerged victorious as early as August 1944. Many put their lives at risk, some endangered their families, others left everything to go underground, others contributed as couriers to deliver messages and material to groups of resisters scattered in various areas of the city. This year for us, for Florence, will be an even more important year because we will celebrate 80 years after the Liberation of Florence, gold medal for military valor for the fight against Nazi-fascism”.
“Democracy is not a fixed system over time, it is something that changes as society evolves. We are all called to commit ourselves to defending it, also involving the younger generations, as we will hear shortly with the school children who have joined to the Metropolitan City project “Resistant paths: junctions, places, protagonists of the liberation struggle in the Florentine territory”. he has warned several times of the possibility that our freedoms will disappear, that they will be restricted. And we cannot brand as nonsense, as minority demonstrations, serious and worrying gestures like the Roman greetings of Acca Laurentia, in which illustrious politicians have participated over the years. right-wing, including the current Prime Minister. These are events from 40 years ago, they are events that are happening in Italy today. Let’s not close our eyes to all this, we cannot afford it because we are all called today, April 25, and every day to remember but also to act, to put into practice the values of the Resistance, the values of freedom. Resistance for a new freedom, for peace between peoples, for fundamental human rights, for the civil and cultural progress of our country, to give a future of freedom to our children. W Florence and the Italian Republic, W April 25th, W freedom and anti-fascism!”
