80 years ago the Italian Republic was born and within weeks the first civilian massacre took place, which remains the one with the highest number of victims: Vergarolla.

Along with all the people of Giulianova, Fiume, and Zadar, the residents of Pula were unable to vote in the institutional referendum. However, until the conclusion of the Peace Conference, the Istrian capital still formally remained Italian territory, albeit under Anglo-American military administration and an enclave in Istria under Yugoslav military administration. A tense situation, rumors swirling, and uncertainties spreading, yet demonstrations of Italianness continued. Even on Sunday, August 18, 1946, when dozens of families with many children flocked to the Vergarolla beach in Pula to watch the Coppa Scarioni races, a swimming event of national importance organized by the Pietas Julia sailing club, with a strong patriotic tradition.

Near that beach, defused mines had been piled up at the end of the conflict, and people had dismissed them as inert elements of the seaside landscape. Suddenly, a roar erupted, causing carnage, with at least 100 victims torn apart by the explosion and dozens injured. Investigations confirmed that someone had triggered the explosion, but it was never identified. In the years to come, oblivion would also tear this page of the Adriatic border's history apart, relegating it to the memoirs of Adriatic exiles until the establishment of Remembrance Day.

At the ceremonies held last year in Pula in memory of the victims of the massacre, FederEsuli proposed the establishment of a commission of Italian and Croatian historians to shed light on the affair.National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia has received this message and has organised the conference with the scientific coordination of Professor Davide Rossi (University of Trieste)

Vergarolla. The first massacre of Republican Italy.

Wednesday 17 June at 15:00 pm at the Ambrosianeum Cultural Foundation (via delle Ore, 3 – Milan). The event takes place in collaboration with the Ambrosianeum Foundation and with the patronage of FederEsuli and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Among those who have already confirmed their attendance are Elena Buscemi, President of the Milan City Council; Christian Garavaglia, representing the Lombardy Regional Council; Chiara Valcepina, Vice President of the First Commission of the Regional Council; and Enrico Roccatagliata, Prefect of Monza and Brianza. The Hon. Andrea Mascaretti and Senator Beatrice Lorenzin will deliver greetings at the opening.

Introduced and coordinated by Prof. Rossi, speakers include Marco Cuzzi (University of Milan), Gaetano Dato (history popularizer), Kristjan Knez (Society of Historical and Geographical Studies of Piran), Paolo Radivo (journalist and essayist), Fulvio Rocco (former State Councilor), Lorenzo Salimbeni (freelance historical researcher) and Paolo Segatti (formerly of the University of Milan).

In their presentations, the speakers will focus on the situation in which the massacre occurred, the media coverage the news received, the documentary sources used to reconstruct the circumstances of the event, and the impact this tragedy had on the Italians of Pula. Following the closing vin d'honneur, film critic Alessandro Cuk will introduce the screening of documentary Vergarolla, the massacre erased by Giampaolo Penco.