Milan, 18 August (LaPresse) – “Today, Italy honours the memory of its compatriots killed on 18 August 1946 on Vergarolla beach, in the most serious and bloodiest massacre in the history of the Italian Republic. A massacre that had been consigned to oblivion for decades and which has been restored to the collective memory thanks to the invaluable commitment of the Italian community in Pula, the exiles, their descendants and various associations. What happened eighty years ago on the beach at Pula remains, to this day, an unpunished crime. Dozens upon dozens of innocent civilians – men, women and children – were killed as part of a macabre plot whilst attending a sporting event. The perpetrators have never been identified, the instigators never traced, nor the motives ever clarified. Seeking the truth remains the surest way to do full justice to the victims and to uncover what, even today, we do not know about this dark chapter of the 20th century.” This was stated by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Vergarolla massacre. “What is certain is that the Vergarolla massacre marked one of the most dramatic moments of that period of violence, playing a decisive role in the decision of the majority of Italians to leave Pula and set out on the path of exodus,” she added. “From the abysmal darkness of that massacre emerged the light of a hero: Geppino Micheletti, a doctor at Pula Hospital who continued to operate on those wounded and maimed by the explosion even after learning that among the dead were his brother, his sister-in-law and his two children, aged 9 and 5. A shining example of humanity, courage and self-sacrifice, recognised by President Mattarella with the Gold Medal of Merit for Public Health. In his name, and in the name of all the victims of Vergarolla, the Italian Government will continue its all-encompassing commitment to preserving and passing on the memory of the complex events linked to the eastern border. These are terrible and painful chapters, which have been silenced for far too long but which now form part of the national and European collective memory,” the Prime Minister concluded.
Vergarolla massacre: Meloni says, “Seeking the truth is the best way to ensure justice for the victims”
Milan, 18 August (LaPresse) – “Today, Italy honours the memory of its compatriots killed on 18 August 1946 on Vergarolla beach, in the most serious and bloodiest massacre in the history of the Italian Republic. A massacre that had been consigned to oblivion for decades and which has been restored to the collective memory thanks to the invaluable commitment of the Italian community in Pula, the exiles, their descendants and various associations. What happened eighty years ago on the beach at Pula remains, to this day, an unpunished crime. Dozens upon dozens of innocent civilians – men, women and children – were killed as part of a macabre plot whilst attending a sporting event. The perpetrators have never been identified, the instigators never traced, nor the motives ever clarified. Seeking the truth remains the surest way to do full justice to the victims and to uncover what, even today, we do not know about this dark chapter of the 20th century.” This was stated by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Vergarolla massacre. “What is certain is that the Vergarolla massacre marked one of the most dramatic moments of that period of violence, playing a decisive role in the decision of the majority of Italians to leave Pula and set out on the path of exodus,” she added. “From the abysmal darkness of that massacre emerged the light of a hero: Geppino Micheletti, a doctor at Pula Hospital who continued to operate on those wounded and maimed by the explosion even after learning that among the dead were his brother, his sister-in-law and his two children, aged 9 and 5. A shining example of humanity, courage and self-sacrifice, recognised by President Mattarella with the Gold Medal of Merit for Public Health. In his name, and in the name of all the victims of Vergarolla, the Italian Government will continue its all-encompassing commitment to preserving and passing on the memory of the complex events linked to the eastern border. These are terrible and painful chapters, which have been silenced for far too long but which now form part of the national and European collective memory,” the Prime Minister concluded.