Date of radio broadcast chosen for annual celebration
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| Gatherings such as this one in Seregno in Lombardy celebrate the role of the partisans in driving out the Nazis |
Every year on this day, the end of the Nazi occupation of Italy is commemorated with parades and parties and many public buildings are closed.
The Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day) marks the day when Allied troops were finally able to liberate Italy.
The date for the national holiday was chosen in 1946. It was decided to hold the Festa on 25 April, the date the news of the liberation was officially announced to the country on the radio.
The marches and events held throughout the day provide an opportunity for Italians to remember their fallen soldiers, in particular the partisans of the Italian resistance who fought the Nazis, as well as Mussolini’s troops, throughout the second world war. A ceremony will be held at the war memorial in each city and town.
But when the official part is over it is also a festive occasion for many Italians, who have a day off work, and will enjoy the food festivals, open air concerts and parties taking place.
Travel tip:
When in Rome, a focal point for celebrating Liberation Day is the Quirinale. The impressive Palazzo del Quirinale, at one end of Piazza del Quirinale, was the summer palace of the popes until 1870 when it became the palace of the Kings of the newly unified Italy. Since 1947 it has been the official residence of the President of the Republic of Italy.
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| The monument to the partisans in Piazza Matteotti in Bergamo |
In Bergamo, in northern Italy, the citizens gather each year at the Torre dei Caduti in Piazza Vittorio Veneto in the lower town. In nearby Piazza Matteotti there is a striking monument dedicated to the partisans, which was created by Bergamo sculptor Giacomo Manzù, who presented the work of art to his home town as a gift in 1977.
(Photo of Seregno commemoration by Paul Barker Hemings CC BY-SA 2.0)
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