Tomorrow, May 5, the journey of the Ligurian students begins in Venezia Giulia, Istria and Dalmatia which, between the end of the Second World War and in the years immediately following, were the scene of persecution against the native Italian population: many Italians were thrown into the karst depths , called foibe; thousands of families were forced to flee and took refuge in Italy in a dramatic exodus. 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 program includes, on Monday 6 May, a visit to the military shrine of Redipuglia, the largest in Italy, which houses the bodies of over 100 thousand soldiers who died in the First World War and, subsequently, the transfer to the Foiba of Basovizza is scheduled, near Trieste: the disused mine was the scene of multiple executions, becoming a “place of memory” for the families of the infoibati.
On Tuesday the delegation will visit the “Padriciano refugee camp” museum then reach Pola where, on Wednesday, they will meet the students of the Italian Dante Alighieri high school and the representatives of the city’s Italian community. Finally, among the most significant stops is a visit, in Pazin, to the ravine on the Foiba river and the Montecuccoli Castle, which overlooks the stream and which in April and May 1945 was the scene of ruthless executions against Italians .
Thirteen Ligurian students 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”, accompanied by five teachers. Six regional councilors and five Ligurian representatives of the Venezia Giulia Dalmatia National Association.
