The exchange program taking place in Lazio (Rome), Tuscany (Firenzuola, in the province of Florence) and Emilia-Romagna (Historical Park of Monte Sole in the province of Bologna) offers young history enthusiasts the opportunity to explore the historical events that shaped our modern world, around the main theme of Resistance and diverse war experience (civil war in Rome, the battle around the Gothic line in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna and the massacre of civilians in Monte Sole).
Participants will engage in a variety of creative projects, including video production, podcast creation, and historical storytelling, enabling them to explore and express the human stories behind the conflict.
As the exchange traverses some of the places affected by the “Italian Campaign”, participants will gain invaluable insights into the war’s legacy. This program isn’t just about learning history; it’s about bringing it to life through modern media. As a participant, you’ll work collaboratively with fellow participants, sharing perspectives and improving your skills in storytelling and digital media.
Whether you’re interviewing locals with personal stories to tell, capturing the essence of historical sites on film, or recording narratives and interviewing people for a podcast, you’ll contribute to preserving these vital memories for future generations. Join us in this educational adventure and be a part of a living history that continues to resonate today.
Rome was the first capital to be liberated from Nazi German occupation on 4 June 1944; on the afternoon of that day, after the passage of the vanguards of the U.S. Fifth Army, composed of New Zealand and Italian American troops, General Mark Clark stops at the Rome-Fiuggi railroad station near Centocelle. Here he has his portrait taken in front of the road signs indicating the beginning of the city.
In the morning, starting from the Centocelle railroad station, a symbolic place where a Vector of Memory of Liberation Route Europe has been placed, participants will have a tour in the Casilina, Quadraro, as well as Centocelle districts and discover a lesser-known part of the Eternal City, and the role played by the civilians and the Resistance movement in the liberation of the city. There will be the possibility to interview stakeholders and experts.
In the afternoon, they will visit the Ardeatine Caves Memorial, a monumental complex dedicated to the memory of the massacre of 335 civilians on the 24th of March 1944, made by the German forces.
Participants will have the option to join a guided tour of the Memorial, to record podcasts and videos and to have access to some documents, articles and images of the massacre and the war of Liberation in Rome.
On day two, in the morning, participants will take a walk in the city centre of Rome to discover some of the most iconic places related to the Fascist regime and WWII, such as: the Rome Commonwealth War Cemetery (that was built after the entry of the Allied forces into Rome in June 1944 and holds 426 graves); St. Paul’s Gate (the symbolic place of the first Roman Resistance and, in general, of the voluntary opposition of Italians to the German invasion); the Jewish Ghetto (with many testimonies of Nazi-Fascist persecution and of the biggest round-up of the Jews in the history of Italy on October 16, 1943); Palazzo Venezia (the headquarters of the Fascist government. From its balcony, Mussolini used to harangue the crowds on the most important occasions) and the Altar of the Fatherland (one of the key symbols used in regime propaganda).
With the help of historians and experts, participants will reflect on what life was like in Rome during the occupation. What roles did the partisans and civilians play? How was the population affected by the bombings? What was the role of the Jewish community in Rome and the effects of the racial laws on the latter?
In the afternoon, a visit of the Museum of the Liberation in Via Tasso, Rome is planned. The museum is a symbolic place of the Nazi occupation of the Italian capital. The museum occupies an entire building which was used as a prison by the Sicherheitspolizei, the Nazi Security Police under the command of Herbert Kappler.
Participants will have time to conduct their own research, explore the museum, record podcasts and videos and to interview stakeholders, guides and experts.
On day three, the exchange will move to Tuscany, where the German Military Cemetery of the Futa Pass will be visited.
The German Military Cemetery of the Futa Pass in Firenzuola (FI) is the largest cemetery in Italy established by the German Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge organisation. It stands at an altitude of 950 metres, right on the Gothic Line and houses the graves of over 30,000 German soldiers, who fell in Northen Italy.
This place of remembrance serves as a powerful reminder of the war’s human cost and foster reflection on reconciliation and peace. During the guided tour, there will be plenty of time to record podcasts and to make videos, all aiming to convey the scale of loss and the importance of remembering those who perished.
After the visit, the participants will move to Emilia-Romagna for the overnight.
On day four, participants will spent the day at the Monte Sole Historical Park, which involves the municipalities of Marzabotto, Monzuno and Grizzana Morandi, in the province of Bologna.
From 29 September to 1 October 1944, German soldiers killed 771 people during the round-up organised by SS against the partisan brigade itself, most of them civilians, 216 of them children. It was the most important German massacre committed in Western Europe. The Park nowadays is a protected area with the main objective of spreading a culture of peace.
The participants, thanks to the support of a facilitator from the Peace School in Monte Sole, will attend an interactive workshop starts with the presence of the group in some of the places of the massacre, which activates cognitive and emotional processes that make the educational activity an all-around human experience. Participants will also have the time to create podcasts and videos on the importance of preserving the memory of this dramatic event, the destruction caused, the role of the Partisan Brigade. They will also have the possibility to reflect, thanks to the help of experts and facilitators, on the importance of remembrance and on its relevance to present-day conflicts.
In the late afternoon, there will be some time to work on the content organization.
On the morning of day five, participants will have the possibility to attend an installation ceremony of a Liberation Route Europe Floor Vector at the Historical Park of Monte Sole.
Participants will share impressions and will discuss what they have experienced in Italy and reflect on the lessons learned in the field and will have time to record podcasts and videos and to interview stakeholders, guides and experts. Before lunch there will also some time to work on the content organization.
After lunch the group will return to Bologna where the activities end.
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© LRE Foundation - 2025
