Comments on: Happy Liberation Day Italia!

By: michelle

michelle — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:57:00 +0000

That war was so very divisive indeed, also among immigrants to other countries who ended up fighting against their homeland. Such an interesting time in history.

By: AmyEmilia

AmyEmilia — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:33:55 +0000

My husband (who was born in 1943) remembers that the blankets brought by the American soldiers were still around when he was growing up near Carrara and in Alessandria. The folks around Carrara and up in the mountains were very involved in the partisan actions and lots of folks died. In every little village I visited, there is a small plaque or memorial to the partisani who died. His family was divided by the war since his father was a Fascist but his wife and their family were not…

By: Stephen Sherman

Stephen Sherman — Mon, 03 May 2010 11:56:39 +0000

My Dad visited in WW2, and got these interesting vintage postcards and photographs (linked in URL).

Thanks for sharing Stephen!

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:41:38 +0000

Re comments from Luigi and others above, I agree on historical revisionism. Nauseous and worrying. I get the impression that a fair number of Italians see Italy as a victim of WWII, rather than a country which gave Mussolini an awful lot of support until the tide turned. Some of these folk I see as “cry-baby fascists” – having failed to win the war and impose their will on others by force (Mussolini’s strong Italy was of course soon revealed to be a load of PR puff) they now hope to appear superior by presenting themselves as victims. A plaque outside the Palazzo Regione on Via Roma, Cagliari, annoys me intensely, and I’m amazed that the Regione allowed it to be put there. In short, it says that the bombers that bombed Cagliari in February 43 (American though the British also came) attacked the “hardworking and peaceful City of Cagliari”. Some younger Italians may wonder why they came. Sheer spite? It couldn’t by any chance have had anything to with Italy’s central role in the Axis and Cagliari’s airbases at Elmas, Monserrato and Decimomanu? Historical revisionism of the worst kind. By all means mourn your dead, but do not rewrite history.

On a related note (and no disrespect to the owner of this page and any other Americans – the Yanks were true heroes during WWII, entering yet again another war not of their making, dying thousands of miles from home, and the opening horrors of Saving Private Ryan make me weep) but I suspect some Italians prefer to think that they were liberated only by Americans (google Salerno 2010 liberation Day for the story). Maybe because America can be seen as a far far away country, like a distant saviour. And America can be seen as almost Italian due to years of emigrants? And to honour the British, Polish and Commonwealth troops would, maybe, shine a poor light on the choices made by Italy and many Italians?
I can recommend a very good book on the fight to free Italy (“Italy’s Sorrow” by James Holland) which gives due credit to the heroes in the Partisans (not all Communist) and the troops from many many nations.

Happy Liberation Day Italy, but for F*** sake do try to unite around something and remember – learn if you have to – some history.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Paul, and especially for the book recommendation.

By: Mary Floridia-Rankin

Mary Floridia-Rankin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 23:40:12 +0000

Did you read Paul Paolicelli’s second book, “Under the Southern Sun”, in chapter 5 that there was a concentration camp in Ferramonti, about 35 km. north of the Calabrian capital of Cosenza and how kind the Italians were to those in the concentration camp. They would round up the little kids in the camp and take them for gelato. They also escaped INTO the concentration camp to avail themselves of the services of the Jewish doctors and dentists. I laughed when the camp was expecting a visit from one of the German dignitaries and they didn’t want him to see how relaxed it was so they put up a flag that showed there was disease there and the German dignitary avoided the camp like the plague. From what Paolicelli wrote, after the war most of the survivors stayed in that area.

Very interesting book about his travels to find his grandfather’s village in Calabria.

I have read it; I’m sorry I loaned my copy out years ago and never got it back…I even had notes in it

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 06:21:51 +0000

Here in Toscana, the song “Ciao Bella Ciao” honors the partisans who fought against the Germans during the occupation and the war.

And anyone interested in the Jewish experience during the war should read Alexander Stille’s “Benevolence and Betrayal, Five Jewish Families under Fascism”

Thanks for that rec Joanna!

By: kataroma

kataroma — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:21:00 +0000

Luigi – yeah that’s exactly what I meant. I think it’s shameful that Italians don’t remember the wide support they had for fascism before and during WWII – it’s made out to be something which was imposed from outside. It’s especially sad when Italians make stupid statements about Germans being “Nazis”. At least the Germans have (largely) come to terms with their past – learning about it extensively at school etc.

Speaking of which – I’ve been to the Jewish Ghetto in Rome lots of times and have not noticed a memorial to the thousands of Jews who were rounded up and deported there. I guess there must be something somewhere – but where? It’s strange that in a city like Rome with such a rich Jewish past there is so little awareness of it.

I guess considering the Lega Nord’s recent victories and Alemanno’s victory in the rome mayoral race I’d have to say that those who do not remember the past are fated to repeat it.

kataroma’s last blog post..Playing the pregnancy card

It is truly disturbing to hear there may be nothing even in the Jewish Ghetto to honor those Jews who were killed, tortured, deported, etc. I know that the old concentration camp here in Calabria is basically overgrown and difficult to even find….

By: Antonio Tahhan

Antonio Tahhan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:54:50 +0000

I just came across your blog and I think it’s great! I was in Italy this past winter break, but didn’t make it to Palermo (I was mainly around Florence). I’ve decided that I must go back and visit Southern Italy because it looks AMAZING! Enjoy yourself!

Hi Antonio, nice to see you! Yes southern Italy is a whole other animal, so to speak, so I hope you do get to come back and visit. Thanks for stopping by!

By: Luigi

Luigi — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:28:57 +0000

I’m afraid Kataroma may be quite right. It’s easy to forget the unpleasant aspect of one’s past. And while everybody knows that Italy was fascist, it’s very common (and very human) to conveniently forget the popular support and imagine that fascism was some sort of external evil which dominated italy. Unfortunately, refuse to assume responsibilities for one’s past is a scary sign. It means there’s nothing wrong in walking the same path again : after all, last time it only went wrong because of that other guy. It was not us. We are good.

I wonder what’s the general attitude in germany. What little I understand of that seems more healty. “Yes, our grandfathers were mostly (insert unpolite word here, probably ending in “holes”). We know that and we got the lesson. Now, would you mind stop bothering me about it?”. Of course I know only very few germans so I don’t really know.

BTW. I was at beppe grillo’s v2 (it was in my town, within walking distance from my home). Some things he says are quite right, and maybe he *is* the wake up call italy needs right now. However, I’m a bit scared by the way he simply asked the public to insult given politician and everybody did just that. Plus I’m definitely not comfortable by somebody attacking somebody because of his physical appearance. Berlusconi is definitely no favourite of mine. But anybody laughing at him because he’s a “bald dwarf” is making me want to vote forza italia (or popolo della libertà or whatever).

(and yes, I know he also mentioned politician all around the spectrum. It bothered me all around the spectrum )

Making fun of Berlu’s size is kind of a national pastime here–sort of how some (ahem) Americans make fun of our President’s intelligence…but I’d take a short Prez over a stupid one any day

Excellent points in the first paragraph–as the saying goes (somewhat, I couldn’t find the actual quote): those who forget/don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it.

By: Law Student Hot Mama

Law Student Hot Mama — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:28:33 +0000

So – first thing’s first. Thanks for visiting my blog! You have no idea how excited I am when I have a new reader. Even if it is a new reader who has browsed one of my dumber posts. Ok, who am I kidding, most of my posts are dumb. Ok, all. Anyway. Hope you’ll be back!

Now I’ve browsed your blog and I am SO jealous that you live in Italy. I have had the pleasure of visiting, and am SO SO SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!! OBSCENELY JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, anyway, thanks for visiting!

Law Student Hot Mama’s last blog post..Testiculardom and Some T&A in Hopes of Boosting My Readership

Well I can’t say I’m jealous of the law school thing…been there, and ew

But no need for jealousy! Just a post-bar exam plane ticket! You deserve it!