The XVII edition of the National Literary Award “Gen. Loris Tanzella”, established by the Provincial Committee of Verona of the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia to disseminate and safeguard the historical, artistic and linguistic heritage that distinguishes the culture of the Istrian, Fiume and Dalmatian people, the final event of the program of celebrations for the Day of Remembrance, could not conclude this year with the usual Award Ceremony. 

The Jury of the Award, after having taken note that the epidemiological picture of the coronavirus highlighted, starting from the month of August, a worrying increase in infections, decided to cancel the Award Ceremony scheduled for last October 9th and to send the prize winners the awards assigned and previously communicated to them, hoping that the winners of this edition will be able to attend the next edition of the Award as welcome guests.

The works submitted to date in the various editions of the Tanzella Prize are approximately 500 and constitute, in the history of Julian-Dalmatian literature, a significant heritage of individual and historical memories, of language, art, music, theatre and traditions.

 This edition of the Tanzella Prize has been notably distinguished by the quality of the numerous works received. The authors who have presented their works in this edition come from regions of southern, northern and central Italy and even from far away Australia, the destination of an even more dramatic exodus.

This edition also confirmed the significant participation of authors who have no personal connection with the lands of the eastern border, but in learning about the complex events inherent to the Adriatic question, they managed to produce works of great value and merit.

The members of the Award Jury, chaired by me, are the Councilors of the Verona ANVGD Committee Tullia Manzin, Donatella Stefani Veronesi, Dolores Ribaudo and Giuseppe Piro.

Loredana Gioseffi
President of the Verona Committee ANVGD – President of the Award Jury 

ABSOLUTE PRIZE

“ Memoirs of a Marcher” by Abdon Pamich

“ Our heart has always remained in the River where we were born and has never found peace .”

With these touching words , the man, the exile, the champion Abdon Pamich concludes his gripping tale of a life on the move. An adventurous journey, one that began as a child with his brother Giovanni toward Italy, to conquer freedom, in solitude and the painful separation from their world. The narrative, in which the educational values ​​of sport significantly intertwine with those of life, flows fluidly, clearly, on the thread of the memory of many challenges, of many victorious marches toward the achievement of unparalleled sporting goals, of memorable feats like the Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo, with which the champion Abdon Pamich honored Italy as much as he loved it as a homeland.

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

" Love in the Fire of War." Passion and lust, betrayal and conspiracy in Italian Zara.

by Stefano Zecchi

" Love in the Fire of War " completes the trilogy of novels set by the author in the capitals of the Istrian-Dalmatian-Kvarner region during the devastating historical context of the Second World War. Pula, Rijeka, and Zadar become settings for narrative interweavings of feelings, history, and politics, where compelling plots unfold and unexpected twists erupt. As the author states, a deep bond has tied him since childhood to the drama of the exodus, when the images of sadness and despair of the refugees fleeing Istria and landing in Venice with their burden of misfortune and pain remained indelible in his mind. The world of exiles expresses its profound gratitude to the author for having contributed, with the quality of his works, to popularizing the Julian-Dalmatian cause and giving voice to the suffering of a people after the long, unforgivable silence of history.

HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND ART HISTORY SECTION

First Prize : "The Art of the Eastern Adriatic in Rome and Lazio from the 5th Century to the Present"

by Eufemia Giuliana Budicin, Maria Grazia Chiappori , Donatella Schurzel, Barbara Vinciguerra

“ The studies on the art of the Eastern Adriatic in Rome and Lazio from the 5th century to the present day, which introduce and accompany the exhibition held in Montalto di Castro in July 2019, promoted and organised by the Provincial Committee of Rome of the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia, constitute a broad and in-depth examination of the prolific presence of Julian-Dalmatian artists on the scene in Rome and Lazio.

The research, erudite and meticulous, highlights the authority and success of mosaicists, architects, sculptors and painters who came from the eastern shore of the Adriatic, but were an expression of the same cultural matrix that distinguishes the genius of the Greats of Italian art.

The graphic design, including the images, has been treated with such skill that the work has been enriched and enhanced. The publication also boasts a very rich bibliography, very useful and enlightening for those who wish to broaden their research in a wider geographical environment”.

Second Prize

“ Memories of Venetian Istria” by Gianfranco Pontini

The widespread and capillary presence of the Serenissima Republic of Venice in Istria and the love that the author, a Venetian by birth, feels for the region and its people, form the foundation of a meticulous and detailed work that leads the reader in the footsteps of Venice in the small villages of Istria's hinterland, arousing great interest, curiosity, and admiration. Through the book's easy reading, one discovers the historical, artistic, and cultural heritage that Venetian civilization developed in the Istrian territories, " in contact with Venice since the dawn of time," and which over the centuries no longer belonged to the Serenissima, but became places "in dedication" with reciprocal rights and duties. The detailed historical insights accompany the descriptions of enchanting landscapes, rich in memories and art.

Honorable Mention

" Venezia Giulia after the Second World War. The Arrival of the Inter-Allied Commission in the Istrian Territories (March 9 – April 5, 1946)" by Giuliana Donorà

“ Of particular interest within the work are those aspects relating to the establishment of the Inter-Allied Commission in the territories of Istria in 1946 and the documentation, hitherto little known, of the activities carried out, particularly on the Slavic side, with the aim of influencing the conclusions of the Commission itself.”

The author's commitment to addressing and publicizing a historical topic that has not been adequately considered up to now is commendable, given its importance". 

Honorable Mention

“ An inscription from Rovinj: Seixomniai Leuciticai Polates (CIL V, 8184). The Venetic language and culture of Istria” by Matteo Gallo

“ Extremely learned analysis of an inscription discovered in 1868 in the Rovinj countryside, with a dedication to a female deity: Leucitica (Leucozèa = white goddess).

To explain the interpretation of the three words, the author makes an excursus, of notable cultural relevance, on the religion and cult of female divinities in the Indo-European and Indo-Mediterranean fields.

Extremely specialized work, which attests to the scholar's profound knowledge of the Venetian languages".

 SPECIAL HONORABLE MENTION IN MEMORY

" Italy Upside Down. Letters to Newspapers 1984–2016" by Tullio Canevari

" The work, commissioned by Mrs. Bruna Rodriguez, wife of the late Tullio Canevari, unforgettable Mayor of the AIPI-LCPE (Italian Association of Pula and Istria – Free Municipality of Pula in Exile), is a collection of letters. As the author himself states, this " habit of writing to newspapers, administrations, university rectors, and municipal administrators probably dates back to long before 1984, but it was only from that period that I began to keep copies, and it is only now that, seeing the years rapidly slipping toward the point of no return, I thought of following the advice of friends, both male and female, to bind them together . "

The author's determination, exiled from his beloved and always missed Pola, to reiterate in different contexts the historical truth about the tragic events of the eastern border, ignored and mystified for decades, to bear witness to the Italianness of the lands of Istria, Fiume and Dalmatia in the strenuous defense of the historical and moral rights of the populations who inhabited them until the painful separation of the exodus, shines through in the texts of the letters.

The world of exiles, grateful, remembers him with deep esteem and affection."

 TESTIMONIALS SECTION

 First Prize

“ On the Wings of Memory” Julian-Dalmatian Exiles in Sicily Remember Maria Cacciola

The Julian -Dalmatian exiles, eyewitnesses to the tragic events that bloodied the eastern borderlands during the Second World War and the immediate postwar period, share, through their experiences, history and memory. This book collects numerous and valuable testimonies from exiles who, after painfully abandoning their native land embraced by the Adriatic Sea, landed in Sicily where they were welcomed with kindness, in keeping with the traditional sense of hospitality of the local people. The author, whose father was a victim of Tito's brutal persecution, demonstrates her exemplary commitment to bringing to light, through the value of memory, the truth of a page of Italian history that had been silenced and denied for decades.

 Special Honorable Mention

“ Istria Farewell” Memories and Thoughts of an Istrian Exile by Bruno Carra

The work, which employs immediate and engaging language, is appreciated above all for the intensity of the emotional aspects evoked by the author's poignant youthful memories of his life spent in his beloved Istria. These aspects, intertwined with historical episodes culminating in the tragedy of the foibe and the exodus, equally indelibly fixed in the author's memory, constitute a significant portrait of the tragedy that befell the Julian-Dalmatian people, condemned by history to remain without justice.

The result is a significant work of individual and historical memory that contains the inestimable value of the testimonies of the protagonists of the exodus".

 Honorable Mention

" River. The House Beyond the Border" by Giuseppina Nacinovich Smaila

The book's title , "Fiume," highlights the inseparable bond between the author and her beloved hometown. Memories flow through her memories, the magical atmosphere of the beautiful Kvarner Gulf, the intoxicating scents of the sea and the resin of the mountains. The narrative captures the soul of a city characterized by the Italian spirit of its hard-working people, a center of civil coexistence between different ethnic groups, cultures, and religions, overwhelmed by the atrocities of war. Throughout the narrative, the author becomes an eyewitness to the tragic events that forced her to flee and experience the painful experience of the refugee camp, which she faced with admirable fortitude and hope for a better future.

 Honorable Mention in Memory

“ Istria, land of my childhood” by Mario Demetlica

The author's testimony, using simple and direct language, profoundly expresses his ties to his homeland and highlights the impossibility of accepting Tito's communist regime, which, after Istria was annexed to Yugoslavia, denied every human right and freedom, and persecuted the remaining ethnic Italians. The author makes several adventurous attempts to reach Italy, but only succeeds after about ten years, when his family eventually moves to Australia. The author's grandson, Fabio Demetlica, a resident of Adelaide, has shown commendable commitment to treasure and disseminate his grandfather's testimony, thus highlighting the diaspora nature of the Julian-Dalmatian exodus, whose protagonists, with admirable dignity, composure, and dedication to work, managed to rebuild their lives despite having to adapt to lifestyles completely foreign to their culture of origin.

 NARRATIVE AND THEATRE SECTION

 First Prize

“ The Bay of the Uskoks” by Pio Baissero

“ The work demonstrates a compelling narrative ability and the plot, which is revealed to be original in its conception, is characterized by a pressing rhythm of events that involves and enthralls the reader.

The bloody episodes of the war, conducted by the Serenissima Republic of Venice against the violent piracy attacks of the Uskoks who threatened the safety of the trade routes in the Adriatic Sea and bloodied the coasts of Istria and Dalmatia during the 16th century, are skillfully intertwined with the story of the impossible love that unites the protagonists, to the point of overwhelming them”.

 Honorable Mention

" Dying in Marcinelle: The Story of an Italian Miner" by Emanuele Corocher

The protagonist's life story, driven by profound patriotic ideals, is irremediably marked by his dramatic experiences during the Second World War in the eastern borderlands. There, amid the horrors of war, he meets the love of his life, overwhelmed and rendered impossible by the war. His attempt to rebuild his life after returning home also ends tragically in the Marcinelle mine, where countless Italian workers perished with him. The narrative uses simple yet fluid and effective language, engaging the reader, who is drawn into a compelling succession of events.

Honorable Mention

“ In malorsiga ….. even the Druze” by Mario Frezza

This work is part of a complex of three theatrical works connected by theme. " La Cisterna" by Bruno Carra deals with the theme of the foibe and the exodus, "Una storia per Albina" by Mario Frezza deals with the theme of refugee camps, and "In malorsiga …anche i Drusi" by the same author.

The theatrical text is structured and developed on the return to their place of origin of a family of Istrian exiles who find their remaining relatives. The meeting takes place in the tavern owned by the latter and a dialogue is intertwined between them in which they confront each other with the emotional intensity of their different experiences, marked by suffering and deep lacerations. “Grado Teatro”, directed with passion and competence by the artistic director Tullio Svettini, has staged the work in Italy and in the places of the exodus, receiving considerable appreciation”.

Honorable Mention

“ Istria 1943 – John Mene, a Cry in the Dark” by Gloria Gabrielli

A play set in Lanišće, Istria, in late 1943. In intense conversations between the town's Italian deputy mayor and his Croatian wife, a native of the town, the tragic moments of the post-Armistice period are relive. Their fears, even their innocence, of being drawn into the conflicts of the day, emerge from the conversation. In reality, these fears are dramatically realized with the protagonist's arrest and disappearance at the hands of Tito's communist partisans, evoked by the touching memories of his son Rino, who, along with his mother, manages to escape.

The text gradually and clearly introduces the various historical themes that culminated in the tragedy of the foibe and the exodus of the Julian-Dalmatian population, thus acquiring a didactic function. The work is enriched by the music performed, with strong emotional involvement, by the protagonist's nephew".

HONORABLE MENTION IN MEMORY

to Giovanni Rapelli

With his latest publication, "CIMBRI/TZIMBAR. Life and Culture of the Cimbrian Civilization," the author leaves behind an important cultural legacy in the fields of history and linguistics. A talented linguist and scholar, he has expertly and passionately explored the connection between surnames and the history of the community and its territories. Furthermore, his contribution to historical-linguistic research in the lands bordering the eastern Adriatic is noteworthy, highlighting the continuity of Italian-Venetian culture in Istria and Dalmatia, confirming his closeness to the world of the Julian-Dalmatian exiles, with whom he deeply shared the drama of the exodus.

POETRY SECTION

Honorable Mention

“ 100 Daily Fragments About My Mother” by Stella Cernecca

Stella Cernecca's work collects fragments of memories of her Istrian mother. It is a thoughtful and affectionate tribute that beautifully expresses the bond between daughter and mother, against the backdrop of the memory of their shared exile.

HISTORY AND HISTORICAL ESSAYS SECTION

First Prize

“ The Signa Fortress 1715” by Dan Morel Danilovich and Michele Nardo

The work traces a historical profile of the struggles between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, focusing on the seventh Ottoman-Venetian war, the Second Morean War, known today in Dalmatia as the War of Signa, named after the fortress where Venetian troops heroically resisted the attack of the Ottomans, far superior to them. The author's research, which uncovers a glorious page in the history of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, is commendable, and his remarkable and impeccable transposition of true events into a comic book is a remarkable and impeccable work, encouraging even the youngest readers to read. The Battle of Signa, which remains alive in the memory of the inhabitants of Dalmatia, is commemorated every year on August 15th.

It should also be underlined that a large part of the old Venetian border is currently used to demarcate the border of the European Union with the rest of the Balkans”. 

Second Prize

“ Antonio Grossich (1849 – 1926). The Man and His Work” by Rino Cigui

“ The work of the historian Rino Cigui, carried out with the scientific collaboration of the Historical Research Centre of Rovinj, is worthy of admirable attention for the way he has been able to outline, with notable mastery combined with in-depth documentary research, the figure of Antonio Grossich.

After years of oblivion, also due to the ideologies of the last century, he has thus highlighted the great figure of the administrator of public affairs and the profile of the investigative scientist who, in the exercise of the medical profession, even at high levels of managerial responsibility, in Austria and especially in Fiume, expressed great humanity.

Some innovations in the surgical field and then the application of the famous skin antisepsis of iodine tincture, which saved many lives, emerge to make this great Italian character stand out no less than in the political events of the Eastern Upper Adriatic”. 

Honorable Mention

“ Remembrance Day 2011 in Modena” edited by Giampaolo Pani and Luigi Vallini

The book, produced by the Modena Provincial Committee of the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia to solemnly celebrate the inauguration in the Emilian city of the monument in everlasting memory of the victims of the foibe, is a mix of testimonies, memories, analyses, and historical insights, including those by authoritative figures, and literary quotations. This is a remarkable work, honoring the commitment to bear witness to the memory of the tragic events that struck the Julian-Dalmatian population, forced to abandon the lands on the eastern shore of the Adriatic after the war towards an unknown fate. This painful chapter in Italian history was long ignored due to political opportunism and ideological conditioning, as if the foibe massacres and the drama of the exodus were events that could not be placed within the historical and political framework of Italy and Europe and therefore should be confined to a local and marginal dimension. The graphic design and extensive photographic documentation enhance the significant content of the work. Worthy of note is the dedication appearing on the plaque. fixed in the Monument:

“ To the sons of Istria, Fiume and Dalmatia, Italian by lineage, language and culture, martyrs in the foiba, at sea, in prison, exiles in the world for love of their homeland”.