A conference on the Vergarolla massacre, the eightieth anniversary of which occurs this year, was held in Rome on Wednesday 27 May.
anniversary (August 18, 1946). Organized by the February 10th Committee and the association "La Comunità – Gli amici del Parco," the meeting, strongly supported by C10F vice president Francesca Carpenetti, sought to outline the historical context, share testimonies, and take stock of several commendable cultural initiatives.

On August 18, 1946, war remnants piled up on the beach at Pula exploded, killing over one hundred Italians. A massacre that
It drove so many compatriots to abandon the city. All the speakers emphasized that 80 years later, there is a need for the truth about a deeply painful episode in our national history. Coordinated by Sandro Righini, the meeting was opened by the national president of the February 10th Committee, Silvano Olmi, who presented the meeting's objectives, aimed at raising awareness and shedding light on what was the first, horrific massacre of the newly formed Italian Republic.

The word then went to the historian from Trieste, but descendant of Istrian exiles from Parenzo, Matteo Giurco. His was a report aimed at
clarify the historical context in which the massacre took place, the difficulties in documentary research and the role of collective memory.
A complex picture has emerged, which still raises questions about those pages of history and about the sense of national identity.

Senator Beatrice Lorenzin, daughter of an Istrian exile, originally from Medulin, recalled a family history that saw Exiles scattered
around the world, from Australia to Argentina, and even some who remained in Yugoslavia. A story of silence and the desire to overcome the stigma of being a refugee. But also of indelible pain, like that of her paternal grandmother, interned during the First World War in a concentration camp.
concentration in Hungary, like many other Italians suspected of sympathies for the Kingdom of Italy and then fled, leaving everything, from his
beloved Istrian land with the advent of the Yugoslav communist regime.

The Honorable Andrea Mascaretti recounted the difficulties he encountered as a city councilor in Milan to ensure the martyrs of the Foibe and the exiles were commemorated and remembered with dignity. These struggles led him to learn about the Vergarolla massacre and the heroic figure of
Doctor Geppino Micheletti, who lost his two young children in that massacre and who, despite this terrible loss, continued to operate uninterruptedly for over 24 hours. He wanted to name an award after him for doctors who have distinguished themselves through their spirit of self-sacrifice and who
this year will see its second edition.

Emanuele Merlino, former president of the February 10th Committee, also spoke. He recalled how the premises on Via Terme di Traiano were the very first Roman shelter for several Julian-Dalmatian refugees. He reiterated the importance of continuing the work.
undertaken, without being misled by those who continue to mystify or justify, often publishing with "important" publishing houses.

The final speaker was Senator Roberto Menia, the first signatory of the law on Remembrance Day and an honorary member of the February 10th Committee. His roundup of stories and anecdotes related to Zadar, Fiume, and Pula served as a reminder to always have the courage to tell the truth and not be passive. It also served as an invitation to rediscover a healthy love of country in this present era of lost values.

In his conclusions, President Olmi recalled the request made by the February 10th Committee that this year's celebrations in Pula
the Foreign Ministers of Italy and Croatia are present.

Source: February 10th Committee