Born under the supervision of partisans, as Gaetano Rossi, a metalworker, recounts.

Living Life Amidst the Echoes of Progress

Reminiscing April 25th, 1945: A Historic Day

For Gaetano Rossi, a metalworker of Pugliese descent born in Turin, liberation wasn't a simple celebration. "That day they were shooting from all sides. My parents told me a thousand times, for them it was truly a dramatic day."

The Tale of Iris and Gaetano: Witnesses to Liberation

Recall the day: April 25th, 1945? Well, for the midwife that helped deliver children in those turbulent times, she had quite the harrowing journey. "Right behind my house was the main hotspot of skirmishes between fascists and partisans. The Germans were no longer there. In front of the Duomo, there was a large, unused apartment building. Full of snipers. But the midwife had to pass right by there."

Did she cower in fear? Indeed, she didn't want to come because she risked her life. "She had refused. And so my mother called my uncles, her brothers, who were two partisans. They went with their machine guns to pick up the midwife from her house and bring her to us."

A Blessing in Disguise: A Double Celebration

In Turin, the shooting finally ceased in the evening, around 8 pm. "There were cars everywhere saying to come out of the house: the city had finally been liberated from the squadristi."

Being Born on Liberation Day: A Source of Pride

"At school, the teachers would often remind us: Rossi was born on the day, month, and year of Liberation. Everyone would applaud, and I would feel proud." However, now many don't even know what day it is. "Many under forty often don't know."

The Fading Memory of a Nation's Struggle

"When we were kids, we played in the ruins of the houses. Today, my grandchildren live in comfort. We saw the traces of war every day, even physically. Those who haven't seen it with their own eyes, no matter how much they listen to the stories, can't really understand it fully."

A Carefree Blindness

"No, the bombed houses were normal. As reckless kids, we'd go play there, running on the beams and mimicking war with wooden guns. Exactly. We did it on hearsay, from the stories of our relatives. In complete ignorance."

Celebrating Liberation: More Than Just a Birthday

"We didn't even celebrate my birthday, to be honest. Every April 25th there was a big party and we'd go on our bikes. I still have a photo of me and my dad on a bike, with me sitting on the front seat and the Italian flag in hand. Then, as we grew up, we didn't go anymore. Now it's just used for politics."

The Youth's Stand for Change

"Of course, they're fighting for other things. But they don't remember what was suffered during the war. It's a shame, because if we look at the world today, there should be a new April 25th, for a return to peace and democracy in Ukraine and the Middle East. Instead, it's just an excuse for a holiday."

(Note: The April 25 uprising began in Milan, where the National Liberation Committee for Northern Italy issued an ultimatum for Nazi-Fascist forces to surrender, leading to the collapse of the regime across northern Italy. Turin's liberation was on April 28, following intense fighting. April 25 remains a symbol of anti-fascist unity, though political divisions persist in its commemoration.)

Gaetano Rossi, a metalworker born in Turin in 1945, recalled his parents telling him that April 25th, 1945 was a dramatic day for them, despite it being a day of liberation.
The midwife who delivered children in those turbulent times faced danger as she had to pass through a building filled with snipers to reach the families needing her help.
In Turin, the ceasefire of shooting occurred in the evening on April 25th, 1945, and the city-wide celebration marked the end of the squadristi's rule.
Being born on Liberation Day was a source of pride for Gaetano Rossi, but many under forty nowadays do not even know the significance of April 25th.

Worker in Turin remarks: 'The frequency seems to be diminishing'.

Born under the supervision of partisans, as Gaetano Rossi, a metalworker, recounts.