Half a century after the signing of the Treaty of Osimo, the conference "The Treaty of Osimo 50 Years After the Signing: Was It a Good Agreement?" organized by the National League on Monday, November 10, in the Sala Maggiore of the Venezia Giulia Trieste Gorizia Chamber of Commerce offered an opportunity to reflect on the value of that agreement and its consequences, not only diplomatic but also human.

In the room, powerful testimonies were shared by those who experienced firsthand the months and years leading up to the signing of the treaty, and by those who, even before that, fought for the Italian cause. Historians and scholars spoke, reconstructing the long diplomatic process and the complex legal issues surrounding the definition of the borders between Italy and Yugoslavia:

Monsignor Antonio Santin and the Osimo affair – Monsignor Ettore Malnati, former secretary to Monsignor Santin

The three components of the Treaty of Osimo: international, national, local – Paolo Sardos Albertini, President of the National League

Relations between Italy and Yugoslavia from the Memorandum of Understanding to the Treaty of Osimo (1954-1975) – Massimo de Leonardis, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan

Exiles and children of exiles in Trieste amid the injustice of Osimo – Renzo Codarin, President of Federesuli

After the signing of the Treaty of Osimo: the political preconditions, the legal consequences – Davide Rossi, University of Trieste

The Treaty of Osimo and the Sources of Dissatisfaction: The Julian Reaction and the Birth of the List for Trieste – Matteo Giurco, Spanish School of History and Archaeology, Rome

The Current Legacy of the Treaty of Osimo in National and Local History – Stefano Pilotto, University of Udine

As Professor Pilotto described in his speech, that was a dark period in Italian history. The city of Trieste experienced the signing as a betrayal, because the population was not involved in the decisions that determined its destiny. In those years, marked by the political and social tension of the postwar period and the subsequent "Years of Lead," public debate was lively and passionate, but diplomacy often failed to fully address the expectations of the border population.

Pilotto emphasized that Italian diplomacy, despite boasting a tradition of excellence, did not play a central role in negotiating the Treaty of Osimo: the agreement was, in fact, carried forward by appointed political figures without adequate involvement of the diplomatic corps. Thus, the hopes of many Italians in Zone B remained unfulfilled.

Although the Americans had said they were willing to recognize the entire Free Territory of Trieste for Italy, Pilotto recalled, the negotiations concluded in a manner that was not always entirely transparent, and without fully considering the ethical, cultural, and economic aspects at stake.

Looking back on those events today, the Treaty of Osimo stands as a warning to Italian diplomacy, which has not always played its cards right. However, every treaty can and must be improved: true diplomatic intelligence lies in the ability to reopen issues and renegotiate when history requires it.

A hope for the future, therefore, lies in the training of new generations of diplomats, aware of the importance of remembering those years, so that they can demonstrate the ability to combine competence, sensitivity, and national responsibility.

Source: National League - 11.11.2025

The conference "The Treaty of Osimo 50 Years After Its Signing: Was It a Good Agreement?" can be viewed on the National League's Facebook page:

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