The landings The Gustav Line in Sicily By the end of December 1943, the The Allied armies landed in Sicily in advance of the Allied forces in Italy July 1943. was hampered by strong German defences on the Gustav or Winter The initial landings on the beaches were Line, in Central Italy. 13th Armored Regiment enters Rome hardly contested but further inland the Italian and German forces put up a stiff It took several months and hundreds of defence, especially around the heights of deaths to break the line. The areas of Cassino, in the Western part of the Line, NETHERLANDS Mount Etna. The fighting in Sicily lasted Newday Offices until 17 August. By then, large parts of the and Ortona, close to the Adriatic Sea, were Jansbuitensingel 30 German and Italian forces had withdrawn centres of heavy fighting. Cassino and its 6811 AE, Arnhem, NL +31 (0)85-3309090 to mainland Italy via the strait of Messina. Abbey, with its heavily fortified mountain The Allied landings in Sicily strongly defences and difficult river crossings, was Entry of Allied Troops Into Rome Churchill tanks advance to Gothic Line BELGIUM contributed to the fall of Mussolini and the key position. After the destruction of Rue de Stassart 131 Fascism. the Medieval Abbey and four battles, the 1050 Brussels, BE Rome The Gothic Line +32 (0) 485 136 833 Gustav Line was broken in late May 1944, paving the way for the liberation of Rome. Rome was the first capital to The Gothic Line, situated in the ITALY Castello di Porta San Donato be liberated from the German Northern Apennines between Nuova – Mura urbane occupation on 4 June 1944, just Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, 55100 Lucca, IT two days before D-Day. was the ultimate defence line built liberationroute.com Rome had been declared an open city, which by the German forces before the CARLO PUDDU, meant that it could be captured without Po valley and the large industrial Managing Director - LRE Italy any fighting, considerably preserving its towns of the North. [email protected] heritage. However, Rome and its citizens +39 348 745 5355 The German retreat behind the Gothic Line had endured all the hardship of the Fascist in late 1944 brought civilian massacres in period and especially of the German rural and mountainous areas, such as in The Liberation Route Europe has been a occupation, including the roundup of the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” Monte Sole and Sant’Anna di Stazzema. since 2019 Jewish community, the bombing of the The Allies were stuck on the line for a popular San Lorenzo neighbourhood, and long winter, unable to break the German the reprisals of the German forces against defences. Local resistance units contributed popular riots and against partisan attacks, as to the fight, especially thanks to their in the Fosse Ardeatine massacre. Therefore, knowledge of the mountainous terrain. In PARTNERS & SPONSORS Rome was a place of spontaneous resistance April 1945, the Gothic line was eventually but also of political reorganisation of the broken with coordinated attacks at its country. Sheltered in Rome, the anti-fascist western, central and eastern part, marking parties united in the Committee for National the beginning of the end of the war in Italy. Liberation (CLN) and planned the creation of TOUR & TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL & TOUR ITALY Local children aboard a Sherman Flying Fortress over Monte Cassino a democratic Italy. 27th of January Holocaust Memorial Day History 25th of April Liberation Day th 10 Cervi Brothers of May Key events & commemorations events Key National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe The Cervi family 2nd of June Republic Day The Liberation of Naples 92nd Division in Massa, Italy Brazilian cemetery in Pistoia The Brazilians in Pistoia The Brazilians Ivan J. Huston and the J. Huston Ivan of Lucca Liberation 28th When the war broke out, Fascist Italy of September was part of the Axis alliance. In 1943, Insurrection of Naples against the Mussolini’s regime fell and Italy announced German occupation its capitulation on 8 September. The seven Cervi Brothers – Gelindo, Antenore, Aldo, The city of Lucca, in Tuscany, was liberated on 5 Soldiers of many ethnic groups were engaged in the The German forces quickly occupied the Ferdinando, Agostino, Ovidio, and Ettore – were active September 1944 by the Buffalo Soldiers, 92nd division Liberation of Italy alongside the Allies. country, while local resistance movements members of the resistance, first against Fascism and of the US 5th Army. These included troops belonging to the British formed and the Allies moved to the mainland, later against the German occupation in their village in The division was composed by African-American soldiers, Commonwealth, but also from North-African French after landing in Sicily. In the movement Emilia-Romagna. northwards, major fighting erupted around who were segregated in the US Army. Ivan J. Huston was one territories. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force fought in the the Gustav Line and the Monte Cassino Abbey Their house became a safe place for partisans, anti-fascists of these soldiers. What stroke him was how the local people Mediterranean Theatre as the only independent South- in the winter of 1943-1944, and later on the and prisoners of war. In November 1943, the brothers, welcomed the liberators and made them feel like humans and American state to support the Allied efforts. Brazilian ground Gothic Line, in the Apennines of Tuscany and their father Alcide and other partisans were arrested in a equals for the first time, since they were treated as second- and air troops engaged on the Western part of the Gothic Emilia-Romagna. The retreat of the German roundup. The seven brothers were tortured and executed as class people in their own country. This warm welcome would Line and in the area of the Northern Apennines. In May forces was particularly violent, with plenty a reprisal on 28 December 1943. Their father, who escaped help Ivan and many other African-American soldiers build 1945, at the end of the war, they reached Turin and Susa, at of reprisals on the civilians. The Gothic Line from prison in 1944, kept the memory of his sons alive for awareness and engage against racial discrimination at home the border with France. The Brazilian Cemetery in Pistoia, was broken only in April 1945: a national decades. Today, their house (Casa Cervi) is a museum and and for equality in their own communities. Ivan’s liberation Tuscany, was created immediately after the war. Although insurrection of the partisan forces and the hosts a very peculiar reenactment: every year on 25 July, story is told in a book and in a documentary called ‘With one the bodies of the 463 fallen were brought back to Brazil, an fast German retreat allowed the liberation of the day of Mussolini’s arrest, a so-called anti-Fascist pasta tied hand’. During his last visit, he was awarded the silver unknown soldier still lays in Pistoia. A modernist monument the north of the country, quickly followed by (Pastasciutta antifascista) is distributed – just like the Cervi medal of the city of Lucca. by architect Olavo Redig de Campos was erected in 1967. the Allied entrance in all the main cities of the family did in 1943, to celebrate with their community the Po valley, and especially Milan. arrest of the dictator. The Gothic Line The Gustav Line 1 2 1 2 Bunkers and fortifications Park of Peace Commonwealth War Park of the historical memory BORGO A MOZZANO ― facebook.com/comitato. SANT’ANNA DI STAZZEMA ― santannadistazzema.org/ Graves Commission Cemetery SAN PIETRO INFINE ― comune.sanpietroinfine.ce.it/ lineagotica sezioni/IL%20PARCO/ria-storica/ CASSINO ― cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-me- vivere-san-pietro-infine/parco-della-memoria-storica/ morials/cemetery-details/2040600/cassino-war-ce- metery/ 3 4 10 7 American Cemetery and Memorial Museum and Grotta Giusti 3 4 FLORENCE ― abmc.gov/Florence MONSUMMANO TERME ― museoterritorio.it 13 3 4 Polish cemetery Monte Cassino Abbey 11 CASSINO― polskiecmentarzewewloszech.eu/pl/ CASSINO ― abbaziamontecassino.org/ 9 1 8 Sangro River war cemetery 2 Battle of Ortona Museum TORINO DI SANGRO ― cwgc.org/visit-us/ 5 ORTONA ― facebook.com/MUBA43.Museodel- 6 find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-de- laBattagliadiOrtona/ tails/2021204/sangro-river-war-cemetery/ 5 6 3 7 German War Cemetery Padule di Fucecchio Colle di Compito Camp CASSINO PORCARI AND MONSUMMANO TERME CAPANNORI ―capannori-terraditoscana.org/scopri/iti- nerari-culturali-e-di-istruzione/la-via-della-memoria/ Audio-Visual Museum of the 8 Resistance FOSDINOVO ― archividellaresistenza.it/ 2 1 Historical Park of Monte Sole 7 9 MARZABOTTO ― enteparchi.bo.it/Parco_Stori- 12 co_di_Monte_Sole Memorial Don Aldo Mei 5 LUCCA 4 6 7 5 4 2 5 1 6 Museum of the Republic 10 Museum of the Fossoli camp 11 of Montefiorino FOSSOLI ― fondazionefossoli.org MONTEFIORINO ― resistenzamontefiorino.it The landings 3 in Sicily Museum of the Resistance 12 Brazilian cemetery 13 BOLOGNA ― www.museodellaresistenzadibo- PISTOIA logna.it 1 Catania War Cemetery CATANIA ― cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemete- ries-memorials/cemetery-details/2006200/cata- nia-war-cemetery,-sicily/ Rome 2 Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery 1 2 SIRACUSE ― cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemete- ries-memorials/cemetery-details/2000407/SYRA- Museum of the Liberation Fosse Ardeatine memorial CUSE%20WAR%20CEMETERY,%20SICILY/ ROME ― museoliberazione.it ROME ― mausoleofosseardeatine.it 3 German War Cemetery MOTTA SANT’ANASTASIA Historical War Museum of the 4 Landings in Sicily 3 4 CATANIA ― cittametropolitana.ct.it/ il_territorio/museum_network.aspx 3 4 1 Anzio Beachhead Museum Rome Commonwealth Cemetery ANZIO― sbarcodianzio.it ROME ― cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-me- morials/cemetery-details/2019300/ROME%20 WAR%20CEMETERY/ 2 5 Jewish Ghetto ROME ― iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london.