Italian cities celebrate this Thursday, April 25, the 80th anniversary of the country's liberation from Nazi fascism. Liberation Day, or Liberation Day, is a national holiday that marks the end of the Nazi occupation and the fascist dictatorship.
Although it is officially a celebration of the entire nation, over time it has come to be more associated with the Italian left.
The celebration includes processions, tributes and cultural events in places that were the scene of the resistance. The date is one of the most important milestones in Italy's recent history.
This year, the date coincides with national mourning for the death of Pope Francis.
Why April 25nd?
The choice of April 25th was due to the insurrection proclaimed by the Committee for the National Liberation of Upper Italy (CLNAI) in 1945. On that day, the committee ordered all partisan forces in Northern Italy to attack Nazi and fascist checkpoints. It was the beginning of the withdrawal of German troops and the fall of the Republic of Salò, a fascist regime led by Benito Mussolini.
Although the war only officially ended days later, the date became a symbol of the victory of the resistance and the regaining of freedom. Between April 21 and May 1, cities such as Bologna, Genoa, Milan, Turin and Venice were liberated.
The role of the partisans
The Italian armed resistance was led by the so-called partisans, members of irregular formations that fought against Nazifascism. Divided by political orientation, the Garibaldi Brigades (communists), the Matteotti Brigades (socialists) and Giustizia e Libertà (from the Action Party) stood out.
These groups operated between 1943 and 1945, after the announcement of the armistice of Cassibile. With the support of the civilian population, they liberated several regions even before the arrival of the Allied forces.
Bella ciao and the “flower of the partisan”
The unofficial anthem of the resistance is the song “Hello Beautiful”. Of popular origin, it became an international symbol of the struggle against oppressive regimes. One of the best-known verses mentions the “flower of the partigiano morto per la libertà” — the papavero (poppy), a red flower that grows wild in the fields and represents the sacrifice for freedom.
