Florence’s April 25 Liberation Day Events

A rich program — public ceremonies and speeches to themed picnics and concerts — will mark the April 25 national holiday Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day) in Florence.  A national holiday, the commemoration marks the day in 1945 when, thanks to behind-the-scenes and front line work by resistance fighters (partisan or partigiani), the Italians succeeded in their efforts to oust the remnants of occupation by Nazi-Fascist armed forces.

Florence mayor Dario Nardella, in the presence of the city’s political and religious authorities, will lay a wreath on the monument honoring the fallen in Piazza Santa Croce at 10 am.  At the end of the ceremony (10:30 am), a procession will form, accompanied by citizens in historic costume carrying banners, proceeding to Piazza Signoria where the official ceremony, with the mayor officiating, will take place.

Organized by ANPI, the fight against fascism yesterday and today will be subject of  talks hosted on a stage in Piazza Poggi. Starting at 12 noon, lunch will be available for guests with a contribution of €14.

Festivities continue in Piazza Santo Spirito, capped by a march to Piazza Tasso.  There, a wreath will be placed honoring resistance commander “Potente” (Aligi Barducci) who lost his life because of a German grenade launched in Piazza Santo Spirito in August, 1944 during the Nazi retreat.

In honor of Liberation Day, the Bargello National Sculpture museum, the Medici Chapels and the Palazzo Davanzati Renaissance Home Museum can be visited free of charge.

The official commemorations will come to a close with a free concert in Piazza Signoria given by the Rossini Philharmonic Band (5:30 pm).

2019 marks the first time that partisan Silvano Sarti (known in the Resistance as “Pillo” is not present at the commemorations.  One of the last of Florence’s WW2 resistance fighters, Silvano Sarti, quietly passed away in the early hours of January 25, 2019.

Street artist Luca Ximenes (aka DesX) recently created a giant mural of Sarti in his neighborhood, l’Isolotto, on via del Pollaiolo, inaugurated on April 24.  The artist commented “Silvano Sarti is an important figure in Florence; he dedicated his life and ideals first to the resistance movement, then to human rights issues and social justice.”

To see an evocative video of the mural as Ximenes is painting it, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.