written by Rebecca Mastrorocco and Gabriela Mazzarello
This year, Benvenuti Arts recognized new official holidays for our virtual offices. As a significant portion of our staff members work in Italy, we have recognized holidays celebrated in that country, as well! One of these holidays, Liberation Day, was recently celebrated in the past few weeks. Learn more about them in this month’s blog post!
Rumba da Bodas live concert, Monte Sole Historical Park, Apr 25, 2022. Photo by Gabriela Mazzarello.
April 25th 1945 is the day when the National Committee of Northern Italy (CLNAI) declared a mass insurrection against the long-standing occupation by Italian and German military, imposing the surrender as well as death sentence for fascist hierarchs — Benito Mussolini included. During those days, the Allies troops joined the relentless Partisans to finalize the Italian territory’s Liberation, heading towards a freed government constitution. By the first of May, all major cities in Northern Italy were freed – Bologna (April 21st), Genova (April 23rd) and Venice (April 28). The Liberation ended 20 years of fascist dictatorship and 5 years of war. The symbolic April 25th date became the peak of military Resistance, composed by all the individuals able to carry a weapon and resist, fight, push back.
Liberation Day event at Monte Sole Historical Park Apr 25, 2022. Photo by Gabriela Mazzarello.
When a population breaks free from its oppressors, from the violence and repression that fuelled long-term resistance, well then a National Holiday is to be remembered, proclaimed and celebrated!
To learn more about Liberation Day, check out the links below!
The Forgotten Front – La resistenza a Bologna (2020)- documentary:
“Un aspetto finora non raccontato del Secondo Conflitto Mondiale: la vita di una città, Bologna, che si trovava sulla cosiddetta Linea Gotica, cioè lo spartiacque tra l’Italia liberata e la dominazione nazifascista. Attraverso documenti e materiali in parte inediti, il documentario ripercorrere le storiche vicende che videro coinvolta tutta la città di Bologna, nel periodo tra il 1943 e il 1945.” / “In Bologna, Italy, the resistance movement fights Nazi-fascism between 1943 and 1945.”
Event links:
https://www.teatrodellacooperativa.it/stagione-201617/il-nostro-25-aprile/
https://www.parmatoday.it/eventi/torna-in-piazza-garibaldi-il-concerto-del-25-aprile.html
