Italy To Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation From Fascism
Italian guerrillas on the day of liberation from fascism, April 25, 1945. X/ @rsumen
April 24, 2025 Hour: 2:17 pm
On April 25, 1945, Italy marked a pivotal moment in its history with the liberation from fascist rule and Nazi occupation.
On Friday, Italy will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation from fascism with several events, held under maximum security due to the funeral of Pope Francis.
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On April 25, 1945, Italy marked a pivotal moment in its history with the liberation from fascist rule and Nazi occupation. This day commemorates the success of the Italian Resistance, a broad anti-fascist movement composed of various political and social groups that had been fighting against Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime and the Nazi forces occupying Italy since 1943.
In Rome, April 25 is celebrated to honor the bravery and sacrifices of those who participated in the Resistance. While Rome had been liberated earlier, on June 4, 1944, the events of April 25 are seen as the culmination of the national effort that led to the final defeat of fascism and the restoration of democracy.
It was on this day in 1945 that the National Liberation Committee of Upper Italy (CLNAI) proclaimed a general insurrection in all territories still occupied by Nazi and fascist forces, hastening their retreat and the liberation of key cities such as Milan and Turin.
The text on the image of the monument reads: “Comrade Kesselring, you will have the monument you want from us, the Italians, but we will decide with what stone it will be built. It will not be built with the smoky stones of the defenseless villages torn apart by your extermination. Not with the earth of the cemeteries where our young comrades rest. Not with the inviolate snow of the mountains that for two winters defied you. Not with the spring of these valleys that saw you flee.
It will be built only with the silence of the tortured harder than any rock. It will be built with the rock of this sworn pact between free men, volunteers gathered out of dignity, and not out of hatred, determined to rescue the shame and terror of the world in these streets. If you want to bring us back to our posts, you will find us dead and alive with the same commitment, a people crowded around the monument that, now and forever, is called Resistance.” P. Calamandrei
April 25 became a national holiday known as “Festa della Liberazione” officially established in 1946. Each year, Italians, especially in Rome, participate in commemorative events, wreath-laying ceremonies, and public gatherings to remember the victims of fascism and Nazism. It remains a deeply symbolic and unifying day in Italian history.
This year, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri will take part in various ceremonies at historic and symbolic locations to mark “Liberation Day,” which is celebrated annually in Italy on April 25 to remember the anti-fascist resistance that brought an end to fascism and Nazi occupation in 1945.
Among other events, Gualtieri will attend the traditional morning ceremony at the Altar of the Fatherland, where he will lay a wreath before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Italian President Sergio Mattarella will also be present at the event.
Shortly after, Gualtieri will also attend a ceremony at the Mausoleum of the Ardeatine Caves, accompanied by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. At this site—one of the most significant symbols of Italian resistance—a tribute will be paid to the 335 people murdered by the Nazis in March 1944.
Gualtieri will also lay a wreath at the Historical Museum of the Liberation, located in central Rome in what was formerly the Gestapo headquarters in the city.
In the afternoon, Romans will take part in the traditional Liberation Day Festival, an event with a more festive, cultural, and participatory character. During this celebration, there will also be a moment of remembrance for Pope Francis, led by Bishop Renato Tarantelli Baccari, deputy manager of the Diocese of Rome.
This year, the 80th anniversary of the liberation has been marked in Italy by the death of Pope Francis, prompting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to declare five days of national mourning starting Tuesday. Although the festive events for April 25 have not been canceled, her administration requested that they be carried out “with restraint” as a sign of respect for Francis.
Between Friday and Saturday—when the funeral of Francis will take place and his body will be transferred from St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he will be buried—approximately 4,000 law enforcement officers will be deployed throughout Rome.
This will be accompanied by extensive security checks, snipers, explosive detection experts, and a no-fly zone around the area of the funeral and procession.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
