«Tribute to the sacrifices of the population, Europe was born here»

«Europe was born here. From Ciociaria, a great example of sacrifice, strength and resilience. I hope that this collective conscience remains alive and is cultivated to be passed down to future generations.” This is what the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, underlined on the sidelines of the ceremony for the awarding of the gold medal for civil merit to the Province of Frosinone for the suffering, drama and destruction that the territory suffered during the Second World War. world after 8 September 1943, the day the armistice was announced. The head of the dicastery, evoking the proclamation of Saint Benedict as the patron saint of Europe by Pope Paul VI on the day of the reconsecration of the Abbey of Montecassino, exalted the values ​​of courage, freedom and dignity of a people, the Ciociaria people, who at the in the end it will count thousands of civilian victims, injuries and devastation almost everywhere. Numerous incursions by bombers of the Allied forces on cities and towns, in addition to the fear and risks of being in a territory crossed by the Gustav line and occupied by Nazi troops, who requisitioned everything. «The Liberation Day belongs to everyone, no one can take it over. It must not be a source of division” Piantedosi highlighted. Yesterday, in the provincial administration building, was a morning full of emotion. A long blue carpet already placed outside Palazzo Jacobucci, adorned with red and green desks. At the entrance there is a guard of honor and along the stairs a series of banners of the Municipalities, many already decorated with medals.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE MINISTER

The minister arrived just before 11.30 and six minutes later he was welcomed by the mayors’ applause in the reception hall. «I am particularly pleased to be able to personally present the gold medal to the Province of Frosinone – the minister stated in his speech -. An important recognition that I strongly wanted as a tribute to the enormous human losses, deprivations and widespread phenomena of devastation that this territory has had to suffer.” Piantedosi recalled the «violence and oppression carried out by the colonial units aggregated to the allies» and on the «tragedy» experienced by Ciociaria he observed: «It carries within itself a powerful message of redemption and hope: in this land people believed in freedom even when freedom was mixed with other unbearable violence.” Then he added: «Victims of both, losers and winners, the people of Ciociaria looked beyond the unspeakable oppression they suffered and embodied that conciliation which later found its definitive consecration in the Constitution. Twice offended, the people of Ciociaria believed in democracy twice: first by rebelling with courage and dignity against the ferocious brutality of the Nazi-fascist occupiers, also by generously supporting the allies in their advance, then by forming a strong network of communities to survive the violence, rebuilding , with solidarity and self-sacrifice, a regenerated and cohesive social fabric.” Then he concluded: «Recalling the pain suffered by the people of Ciociaria, by the Nazi-fascists but also by troops attached to the allies, must not serve as an exercise in rhetoric, but to recognize the merit of a community that chose to project itself and believe into the future beyond all claims, without giving in to divisive temptations.”

«DEEP SCARS»

The president of Piazza Gramsci, Luca Di Stefano, opened the speeches: «It is a historic day for the province – he explained -. The bombings and suffering are still deep scars today. The gold medal is a tangible sign of the admirable courage and extraordinary resilience demonstrated during the terrible events linked to the second war. The wounds of the past have shaped our present, but they have never undermined our determination and hope for the future. This high honour, for which I have the moral and institutional obligation to thank Minister Piantedosi for his commitment, entrusts us with an even more important task: that of solemnly committing ourselves to ensuring that the suffering suffered is not in vain, that the lives lost are not forgotten and that the lessons learned are taught and passed on.” The moment in which the banner of the Province was decorated by the minister with the honorific reward was touching. All on a symbolic day like April 25th.

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