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I tried the English version of Wikipedia, to see whether it talked at all about what the 25th of April means to us. If you click here, and scroll down all the way to 1945, you'll see:
1945 - Nazi occupation army leaves Northern Italy after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement. This day is taken as symbol of Liberation of Italy.
A little drily put, maybe, that's what it is. (And all I've found on there. ;) ) And that is the reason why this morning I was in the War Cemetery here, near Assisi. I'd never been in there before, it's such a beautiful place - kind of a strange thing to say about a cemetery, isn't it? But it's really true. During the commemorative ceremony taking place there, several letters were read aloud - all letters written by prisoners sentenced to death for their activity in (or in favour of) the Resistance Movement, for their loved ones - parents, sons, daughter, spouses. There was one of them that struck me the most, so once I got home I tracked it down - and here it is. (In Italian, sorry about that. ^^; Haven't even got the time to contemplate translating it right now!)
ETA: now with the English translation! Cor, but I had a serious Roland moment writing this.
A little drily put, maybe, that's what it is. (And all I've found on there. ;) ) And that is the reason why this morning I was in the War Cemetery here, near Assisi. I'd never been in there before, it's such a beautiful place - kind of a strange thing to say about a cemetery, isn't it? But it's really true. During the commemorative ceremony taking place there, several letters were read aloud - all letters written by prisoners sentenced to death for their activity in (or in favour of) the Resistance Movement, for their loved ones - parents, sons, daughter, spouses. There was one of them that struck me the most, so once I got home I tracked it down - and here it is. (In Italian, sorry about that. ^^; Haven't even got the time to contemplate translating it right now!)
Paolo Braccini - docente universitario - 36 anni3-04-1944, Torino
Gianna, mia figlia adorata,è la prima ed ultima lettera che ti scrivo e scrivo a te per prima, in queste ultime ore, perché so che seguito a vivere in te. Sarò fucilato all’alba, per un ideale, per una fede che tu, figlia mia, un giorno capirai appieno.
Non piangere mai per la mia mancanza, come non ho mai pianto io: il tuo babbo non morrà mai. Egli ti guaderà, ti proteggerà egualmente: ti vorrà sempre tutto l’infinito bene che ti vuole ora e che ti ha sempre voluto fin da quando ti sentì vivere nelle viscere di tua madre. So di non morire, anche perché la tua mamma sarà per anche il tuo babbo, quel tuo babbo al quale vuoi tanto ben, quel tuo babbo che vuoi tutto tuo, solo per te e del quale sei tanto gelosa. Riversa su tua madre tutto il bene che vuoi a lui; ella ti vorrà anche tutto il mio bene, ti curerà anche per me, ti coprirà dei miei baci e delle mie tenerezze. Sapessi quante cose vorrei dirti, ma mentre scrivo il mio pensiero corre, galoppa nel tempo futuro che per te sarà, deve essere felice. Ma non importa che io ti dica tutto ora, te lo dirò sempre, di volta in volta, colla bocca di tua madre nel cui cuore entrerà la mia anima intera, quando lascerà il mio cuore. Tua madre resti per te sempre al di sopra di tutto. Vai sempre a fronte alta per la morte di tuo padre. Ti benedico Tuo babbo.
ETA: now with the English translation! Cor, but I had a serious Roland moment writing this.
Paolo Braccini - university teacher - 36 years old3-04-1944, Turin
Gianna, my beloved daughter,this is the first and last letter I'm writing you and I'm writing to you first, in these last hours, because I know I will keep on living in you. I will be shot at dawn, for a ideal, for a faith that you, my daughter, one day will understand in full.
Never cry for my abstence, just like I never cried myself: your dad will never die. He will watch over you and take care of you all the same: he will always love you as infinitely much as he does now and as he always has ever since he felt you living in your mother's womb. I know I won't die, also because your mom will be for you your dad as well, that dad you love so much, that dad you want all to yourself, just to yourself and that you're so jealous of. Pour on your mother all the love you have for him; she will give you all of my love, she will take care of you in my stead too, she will cover you with my kisses and my tenderness. If only you knew how many things I want to tell you, but while I'm writing my mind runs, gallops in the future time that will, that has to be happy for you. But it's not important for me to say everything now, I will tell you always, time by time, with the mouth of your mother in whose heart my whole soul will enter, once it will have left my heart. Hold you mother above everything, at all times. Always walk with your head held high for the death of your father. I bless you Your dad.
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on 2008-04-25 01:53 pm (UTC)Beautiful letter. *hugs*
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on 2008-04-27 12:37 pm (UTC)♥
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on 2008-04-25 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-25 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 12:41 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 03:12 pm (UTC)(È davvero una tragedia che nessuno negli Stati sa la significata di questo giorno. Neanche gli italoamericani, che strano, penserei che molti avessero dei parenti che combattarono.)
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on 2008-04-27 12:38 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-25 02:07 pm (UTC)(I decided not to buy user time, so I apologize for my lack of somber icons!)
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on 2008-04-27 12:51 pm (UTC)Now that I think of it, have you ever seen Roma città aperta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038890/)? It's a beautiful movie set in that period, with a great Anna Magnani. :) Give it a try, if you get the chance. ;)
(Oh, no need to worry about the icon ;D I've had several of those situations myself, I understand! :P)
P.s.: (Sorry for all the notices)I forgot - I've added a translation! I think it might work? I tried to keep close to the original tone without making it sound too stilted, but it's not as easy as I'd thought :P
no subject
on 2008-04-25 02:26 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 12:51 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-25 07:28 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-25 08:44 pm (UTC)Vai sempre a fronte alta per la morte di tuo padre.
Capisco perché questa lettera ti abbia toccata particolarmente... l'ho letta due volte di fila e ho un groppo in gola che non riesce ad andare giù.
no subject
on 2008-04-27 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 05:20 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-27 01:23 pm (UTC)It really is so touching, isn't it? As I read it the first time, I couldn't help identifying myself with it a little. :)