The Exhibition of Dalmatian Exiles from Istria and Fiume (MEDIF) opened on Friday, October 24th, in the presence of Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli. A unique tale of images and testimonies recalling the tragedy of the foibe and the 350 Italian exiles forced to leave their homeland to preserve their cultural and historical identity.

Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, the story of the exiles from Fiume, Dalmatia, and Istria finds its place inside the Vittoriano, a museum that is the beating heart and living memory of our homeland, today led by Director General Edith Gabrielli, a member of the exhibition's scientific committee.

Through documents, photographs, objects, and firsthand accounts selected and organized by a multidisciplinary scientific committee, the exhibition—housed in the Grottone Halls and curated by architect Massimiliano Tita—restored truth and dignity to a chapter in Italian history that has been silenced, minimized, or even manipulated for too long.

"The deepest meaning of this inauguration is this: living memory is the highest form of hope. Without memory, a nation is no longer a community," declared Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli. "But a memory that becomes culture, a culture that opens to the future, can still unite, heal, and generate trust. May this exhibition, for those who visit it, be a journey through pain and, at the same time, an act of love towards Italy: an Italy capable of looking to its past with honesty and to its future with gratitude."

Renzo Codarin, president of the Federation of Associations of Istrian, Rijeka, and Dalmatian Exiles, expressed his enthusiasm and emotion: "On behalf of FederEsuli, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all those who made the Exiles' Exhibition possible. This is a moment of great civic and cultural significance: a tribute to the memory of the Italians of Istria, Rijeka, and Dalmatia, and at the same time, an opportunity to introduce new generations to a fundamental chapter in our national history, which today fits perfectly into a European context. I extend special thanks to the Ministry of Culture and the Director of VivE, Director General of the Ministry of Culture, Dr. Edith Gabrielli, for their hospitality and collaboration; to the curator, Architect Massimiliano Tita; to the Federesuli staff; to all the scholars, technicians, and volunteers who contributed with skill and passion to the success of this initiative; and to all those who shared the spirit of remembrance." The Exiles' Exhibition is a concrete sign of how the memory of the Exodus continues to live, to speak and to unite Italians."

During the inauguration of MEDIF, a performance was held by the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia, directed by Paolo Valerio.