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Commemorazione Di Vera Brittain

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Commemorazione Di Vera Brittain c/o Urban Center , Piazzetta Rossi Thiene sede legale: Piazzetta Ferrarin 1, 36016 Thiene Tel. 0445 804837 - fax 0445 804999 e-mail: [email protected] c.f. 03018920243 - c/c postale n.42840090 www.pedemontanavicentina.com Commemorazione di Vera Brittain Grande pacifista d'Europa le cui ceneri sono sparse nel cimitero di guerra britannico di Granezza (Lusiana) La manifestazione che segnerà l'avvio delle successive attività di celebrazione della Grande Guerra nel territorio della Pedemontana Veneta. LA VITA Grande pacifista d'Europa, Vera Brittain nacque il 29 dicembre 1883 a Newcastle-under- Lyme in Inghilterra. Dopo aver iniziato gli studi ad Oxford, incapace di stare a guardare attendendo con angoscia il susseguirsi degli eventi bellici da poco scopiati, come moltre altre giovani donne, sentì il bisogno di impegnarsi in prima persona e, in seguito all'arruolamento dell'amato fratello Edward e del fidanzato Roland Leighton, nel 1915 lasciò gli studi per arruolarsi come infermiera volontaria nel Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) e portare il proprio aiuto ai numerosi soldati britannici impegnati al fronte. Dopo la morte del fidanzato Ronald, unitosi al Reggimento Worcestershire, ancor più dura fu pe Vera la morte di Edward, avvenuta in battaglia il 15 giugno 1918. Rimasta praticamente sola dopo un susseguirsi di perdite degli affetti a lei più cari, la scrittrice decise di pubblicare i diari personali e le lettere scambiate con il fratello durante la fitta corrispondenza che i due mantennero nell'arco del conflitto, ricchi di testimonianze sugli sconvolgenti anni della Prima Guerra Mondiale. E proprio queste testimonianze fecere di lei una delle scrittrici più amate di sempre nel mondo anglosassone, il cui nome si lega alla celebre opera del 1933, Testament of Youth e dov'è possibile scorgere anche le difficoltà incontrate dalla scrittrice nel ritornare alla qutidianità dopo i duri anni del conflitto. TESTAMENT OF YOUTH Scritto nel 1933, esso è un'autobiografia al cui interno è possibile trovare testimonianza, oltre che degli orrori del conflitto, delle tragedie personali che colpirono in prima persona la scrittrice, legate, alcune di esse, al territorio pedemontano vicentino, ai piedi dell'Altopiano dei Sette Comuni, e riportate attraverso gli occhi della media borghesia inglese cui apparteneva. In esso, tuttavia, non si parla solo di guerra ma vengono affrontati anche altri importanti temi quali il femminismo, l'amicizia e l'amore, trovatosi purtroppo esposti ad un mondo, all'epoca, sconvolto dalla storia. Una straordinaria testimonianza, quindi, dei lunghi e durissimi anni del Primo Conflitto Mondiale, iniziato il 28 luglio 1914 con la dichiarazione di guerra da parte dell'Austria alla Serbia e terminato più di quattro anni dopo, l'11 novembre 1918, segnando profondamente la vita ed il carattere di questa giovane donna. Ricordata per la sua spontaneità, il radicamento alla realtà dei fatti e la descrizione puntuale della vita di una semplice ragazza medio borghese, intrecciata e sconvolta dagli eventi della Prima Guerra Mondiale e dalle perdite delle persone a lei più care, è con quest'opera che iniziò il cammino di Vera Brittain verso la sua carriera di pacifista. IL FRATELLO EDWARD BRITTAIN Capitano Edward Harold Brittain, appartenente all'11esimo Battaglione degli Sherwood Foresters ed impeganto sull’Altopiano di Asiago al seguito di un contingente della British Expeditionary Force concesso in aiuto all’Italia, dopo il grave arretramento del fronte nel novembre dell’anno prima, perse la vita il 15 giugno 1918, colpito a morte da un cecchino Austriaco appostato di fronte alle trincee di San Sisto a sud-est di Asiago. Fortemente legata al fratello, nel capolavoro dell'autrice britannica si percepisce il dolore per la prematura scomparsa del Capitano Edward, sepolto tutt'oggi nel cimitero militare inglese di Granezza a Lusiana. LA VISITA DI VERA AL CIMITERO MILITARE INGLESE DI GRANEZZA A LUSIANA Raggiunto il pianoro di Granezza negli anni '20, Vera Brittain riuscì a ricongiungersi al fratello recandosi al cimitero in cui giace tutt'oggi sepolto. Della sua visita a Lusiana si hanno testimonianze nel celebre Testament of Youth, dove l'autrice racconta: “Che strano, com'è strano ho pensato, quando ho guardato con un lancinante dolore al petto, il nome di Edward tra i filari di pietre oblunghe, che tutti i miei anni passati (l'infanzia della quale io non ho nessuno, ora, con cui condividere il ricordo: i campi luminosi a Uppingham, i mesi inquieti a Buxton, le speranze e le ambizioni di Oxford, le perdite e la prolungata agonia della guerra) possano essere sepolti in questa tomba sulla cima di una montagna [...]”. E proprio qui “[...] in questa tomba sulla cima di una montagna, nel silenzio sublime, nel canto irreale della serenità di queste remote foreste” la scrittrice anglosassone decise di far spargere le proprie ceneri nel momento della sua morte, ritrovando così l'amato fratello che tanto gli mancò in vita. IL DESIDERIO DI VERA Nel 1970, alla morte di Vera, all'età di settantasette anni, la figlia esaudì il suo desiderio di ricongiungersi al fratello Edward di cui costituiscono una preziosa testimonianza le seguenti righe: “Oh, Edward, sei così solo qui, perchè non posso rimanere a far compagnia alla tua tomba per sempre, su questo altopiano dove solo vi è pace e dignità, lontano dal mondo e dagli sforzi inutili di ricostruire la civiltà?” LA COMMEMORAZIONE DI VERA BRITTAIN Attraverso la commemorazione di Vera Brittain si intende raccontare la storia della sua importante attività di pacifista e dell'amore spesso celato dietro ai tragici eventi bellici accaduti. Le vicende di una donna che nonostante le sconfitte della vita seppe trovare la forza di superare le difficoltà attraverso l'attivismo in campo sociale, portandola a battersi per affermare i diritti delle donne e, soprattutto, per diffondere la pace tra le persone ed i popoli. Per commemorare le vicende e la storia della scrittrice anglosassone si prevede lo sviluppo delle seguenti attività: 1. ricerca letteraria dei testi di Vera Brittain; 2. rievocazione dell'arrivo della scrittrice presso il cimitero militare inglese di Granezza a Lusiana negli anni '20; 3. realizzazione di un filmato che illustri le vicende dei britannici durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale..
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