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.
