C was held last May 31st and June 1stInternational conference on the Liberation of Rome, at the headquarters of the Municipality of Anzio in Villa Corsini Sarsina, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of the occupation of the capital, which occurred on 4 June 1944.
Over 40 speakers from Italy and abroad attended to share historical points of view on the events of the campaign for the liberation of Italy and Rome in particular, by the Allied Armed Forces during the Second World War.
The work of the Conference was opened by the Representatives of the Extraordinary Commissions of Anzio Dr. Francesco Tarricone and of Nettuno Prefect Antonio Reppucci.
The Conference highlighted the important role played by the Italian Armed Forces in the battles that led to the liberation of Rome and Italy, thanks to the contribution of the
General of the SMD Eugenio Martis, Professor Maria Pasqualini, Professor Ruggero Ranieri of the Ranieri Foundation of Sorbello di Perugia, the historian Alessandro Campagna and Professor Federico Ciavattone. It was an important opportunity to learn about the valiant contribution made by the Italian soldiers.
The role played by the French Expeditionary Force in breaking the German Gustav Line south of Monte Cassino in 1944 was illustrated by Major Antoine Egret of the French Defense Historical Service based in Paris.
The Major brilliantly conveyed to those present the pride of the French for the successes achieved by their soldiers in the defeat of Adolf Hitler in the campaign for the liberation of Italy.
The Polish ambassador in Rome, Anna Maria Anders, daughter of General Wladyslaw Anders, commander of the Polish II Corps, protagonist in the battle of Cassino, recalled together with the historian Marco Patricelli the decisive role of the Poles in the campaign for the liberation of Italy. The remains of the general and his wife rest in the Polish cemetery of Cassino together with those of the over 1,000 Polish soldiers who died in those battles.
The award ceremony for the finalists of the “Thank You Dear Friend” School Competition was very moving. This was the first edition of a competition aimed at students of lower secondary schools in the territories of the municipalities of Anzio and Nettuno, consisting in the drafting of a written essay in the form of a letter of thanks addressed to a young foreign boy of the same age, of no more than twenty-five years of age, who, leaving his family, his dearest loved ones and his country of origin, decides to come and free Italy and the Italians by meeting his death.
The awarded children were: Arianna Anastasi Valenza from Santa Lucia Filippini in Nettuno, Giorgia Lo Piccolo from Emanuela Loi in Nettuno and Maddalena Baccellini from the Professional Training Center of Anzio.
Presenting the awards, representing the Allied Armed Forces of Liberation, were Colonel Brian Sheridan of the US Army, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Smith of the British Army, Colonel AMK Mankayi of the South African Army and Major Antoine Egret of the French Army .
Also speaking were representatives of the following embassies: Fabrice Maiolino of the French Embassy, David Connell of the American Embassy, Thomas Rieberling of the German Embassy, and of the following international organizations: for the United Kingdom, Giordano Righetti of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission , for France Christian Douale, head of the Directorate of Memory of the Ministère des Armèes, and for the United States of America Mark Ireland of the American Battle Monuments Commission.
By courtesy of the Defense General Staff, a preview of the documentary “Monte Cassino and the Liri Valley” produced together with the Mission Structure of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for National Anniversaries was screened. The documentary was introduced by Lieutenant Colonel Paolo Cappelli of the SMD, by the producer Dr. Marco Kuveiller and by Professor Giancarlo Loffarelli.
Many historians, directors of Italian and foreign war museums and scholars of the events of the time also participated: Marco Altobello from Campomarino, Alberto Baldazzi from Castel
del Rio, Silvano Casaldi of the Neptune Landing Museum, Sir Nick Young of the Monte San Martino Trust, Pietro Rogacien French historian, Michele Di Leonardo of Cassino, Admiral Pat De Quattro of the United States Coast Guard, James Mc Farlane on the places of Rome of the liberation, Mark Howard on the photographs of the Italian Campaign, Daniel Crampton on the London Irish Rifles.
The Conference hosted a section dedicated to the future, in particular to the role that companies from the countries that participated in the Liberation of Italy can play together to strengthen the defense of their values of freedom and democracy.
The session, coordinated by Assoknowledge advisor Arrigo Apostolidis entitled: “The role of non defense industries in supporting the defense industrial base”, saw the presence of Leonardo Baruzzi of True Screen and Massimo Corsini of Cefla.
In conclusion, Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman of the Conference, and Robert Desourdis presented the objectives and programs of the International Freedom for Italy Network.
