Today is a national holiday in Italy, because we celebrate an important anniversary for our history: the liberation of our Country after the Nazi occupation and the fascism during the World War II.
(Memorial relief in Sant'Anna di Stazzema, bild-by Hans Peter Schaefer, source)
In this day we celebrate the victory of the Resistance of the Italian Partisans against the fascism and the nazi occupation during the Second War.
In the April 25th (1945) the National Liberation Committee proclaimed the insurgency against nazis and fascists on the italian occupated lands (also in my city) and the death sentence for all fascist leaders (as Benito Mussolini).
After this, more italian cities was liberated and Italy was free after 20 years of fascist dictatorship and 5 years of wars!
That years were very hard and bloody years for italian people, very difficult time. A real civil war where people imprisoned, tortured, killed people born in the same place, in the same city, in the same street. Some of our ancient relatives talked to us about that time, because we can't forgive our past and it's really important to know our past to don't repeat the same errors.
In our forest there are full of "places of memory", where some young partisans were killed for our freedom. Can you think about a guy or a girl (there were more young women in the Resistance) 16-20 years old that lost his/her life for us, for our free-to-speech? I don't want to talk about politic acts, I want to talk about "human" acts.
There was not humanity under a dictatorship and we perfectly know this thanks our older relatives and their stories.
During the fascist dictatorship here in Italy, people could have food just if they had the fascist card, just if they thought as a fascist, just if they talked and did as a fascist. People who disagreed with fascist ideals went to jail or was obliged to leave the home. People were killed for a different idea, people were tortured, raped, victims of an insane system full of violence.
I have to say thanks (not just today, but all days) to that people who, more than 70 years ago, fought for the freedom that I have now.
Silvia
