Freedom, peace, democracy: Republic Day celebrated in Viterbo (VIDEO)

by ANNA MARIA STEFANINI-

VITERBO – Today we celebrate the Italian Republic Day, which commemorates the institutional referendum with which more than 28 million Italians voted to choose the new form of government of the country after the end of Fascism and the Second World War. The referendum yes took place on 2 and 3 June 1946: in the end almost 25 million Italians voted and, for the first time on a national scale, Italian women, many of whom had already voted in the months preceding the administrative elections: the Republic won with 12,718,641 votes against the Monarchy’s 10,718,502.

At the same time, there was also a vote to elect the members of the Constituent Assembly: the Christian Democrats obtained the relative majority with 207 deputies out of a total of 556, followed by the Socialists and then the Communists.

The celebration comes a few weeks after the Liberation of Italy from Nazi-fascism on April 25th and honors one of the most important moments in the history of our country.

78 years have passed since Italy chose to embark on the path of the Republic and democracy.

On June 2, 1946, Italian men and women decided to start writing a new page of history focused on the res publica, something that belongs to everyone, characterized by political participation, self-determination and love for freedom and justice.

Society was still strongly divided but the choice of the Republic was a political experiment that had no historical precedent in Italy.
At today’s ceremony in Viterbo, which took place in Piazza San Lorenzo, from 9.15 am, all the highest civil, religious and military authorities were present.

The ceremony was preceded by the laying of a wreath at the shrine of the Fallen which is located in the square.

After the deployment of the joint force honor unit, the entry of the medals and banners of the combat and arms associations and the banners of the city and the province of Viterbo, we proceeded with the honors to the highest authority, the prefect of Viterbo . The Army Aviation Band performed the national anthem. Subsequently, the message from the President of the Italian Republic was read by the prefect Gennaro Capo and there were speeches from the president of the Province Alessandro Romoli and the mayor Chiara Frontini.
During the ceremony, the honors of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic were awarded to some citizens for the merits acquired towards the nation.

Title of Commander to the special qualification chief brigadier of the Financial Police Francesco Fauci
Officer title to lieutenant colonel of the Carabinieri Marcello Egidio

Knighthood to:
– Major of the Carabinieri Federico Alfonso Lombardi
– Lieutenant special charge of the Carabinieri Vito Di Benedetto
– Colonel of the Financial Police Andrea Pecorari
– Marshal of the Financial Police Alessandro Santori
– Chief Brigadier of the Financial Police Franco Ballore
– Chief Superintendent of the State Police Emanuele Politini
– Sandro Marenzoni
– Alberico Paoletti
– Giulio Starnini
– Gloria Pessina
– Margherita Manzi
– Sanja Pecnik
– Carlo Trevi
– Simonetta Taucci
– Cristina Bugiotti
– Anna Maria Primi
– Anna Rita Dionisi
– Ramona Sassara
– Captain of the Financial Police Sergio Paolocci
– Novella Selvaggini
– Luciano Caterini
– Selected officer of the Carabinieri Emanuele Stalfieri
– Lieutenant special charge of the Carabinieri Angelo Faraoni
– First lieutenant of the Army Cesare Bucini
– Lieutenant Colonel of the Financial Police Claudio Catalani
– Giuseppe Salta
– Paola Perugi
– Carla Fiorucci
– Selected officer special qualification of the Financial Police Domenico Antonio Pica
– Patrizia Caciola