Italy on Sunday marked the 80th
anniversary of the Ardeatine Caves massacre by the Nazis during
World War II.
On March 24, 1944, 335 Italians were executed by Nazi officers
in a reprisal for a Partisan attack that killed 33 German
soldiers in central Rome.
In retaliation, for every one German killed, the army seized 10
Italians, including civilians as well as numerous political
prisoners and Jews who were in custody, plus five more who were
also executed.
Both men and boys were executed and their bodies dumped in the
caves where the memorial to the massacre is now located.
Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano and his German counterpart
Claudia Roth laid wreaths at the site on Sunday, along with
Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida.
President Sergio Mattarella took part in a ceremony at the
memorial marking the anniversary on Friday.
"Today Italy honours and pays homage to the memory of the 335
victims of the Ardeatine Caves massacre, a terrible massacre
perpetrated by the Nazi troops of occupation in retaliation for
the Partisan attack in Via Rasella," said Premier Giorgia
Meloni.
"The Ardeatine massacre is one of the deepest and most painful
wounds inflicted on our national community and remembering what
happened on that fateful March 24 80 years ago is everyone's
duty".
As with last year's anniversary, Meloni, the leader of the
right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, was criticised by
Partisans association ANPI and by some opposition politicians
for failing to specify that most of the victims were
anti-fascists or Jews.
"Once again the premier makes omissions and mistakes," said ANPI
President Gianfranco Pagliarulo.
"She doesn't talk about the responsibility of the Italian
Fascists, starting with police commissioner (Pietro) Caruso,
who was sentenced to death for having prepared the list of
people to be killed in the Ardeatine Caves.
"She does not say that the victims were overwhelmingly
anti-fascists and Jews.
"This is the usual specious re-reading of history, which always
tends to cover up the responsibilities of Fascists and deny the
value of anti-fascism. Another missed opportunity".
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