Also two students from La Spezia – Matteo Prencipe del Fossati and Elvira Tiscornia del Da Passano – the journey of the Ligurian students to the regions of ancient Venezia Giulia, Istria and Dalmatia where, at the end of the Second World War, the persecution of the Italians who from centuries they had settled in those areas: many were killed and thrown into the karst depths called Foibe and tens of thousands were forced to seek refuge in their homeland of origin.
The initiative is organized by the Regional Council on the basis of regional law n. 29 of 24 December 2004 “Activities of the Liguria Region for the affirmation of the values of the memory of the martyrdom and exodus of the Julians and Dalmatians”. The journey began with a visit to the military shrine of Redipuglia, where bloody battles took place during the First World War and, subsequently, the delegation reached the Foiba of Basovizza, in Trieste, a “Place of memory” for the families of the infoibati.
In the following days the students were accompanied to the “Padriciano refugee camp” museum and, in Pola, they met the students of the Italian Dante Alighieri high school and the representatives of the city’s Italian community.
Two other symbolic places of persecution known to the delegation were, in Pazin, the ravine on the Foiba river and the Montecuccoli Castle where, in the spring of 1945, many Italians were “infoibated” or thrown from the castle cliff.
13 of the Ligurian students who won the 22nd edition of the regional competition “The sacrifice of the Italians of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia: maintaining the memory, respecting the truth, committing to guaranteeing people’s rights” took part in the trip: (names attached) accompanied by 6 regional councilors and 5 teachers. Five Ligurian representatives of the Venezia Giulia Dalmazia National Association are part of the delegation.
