Rome marks 70 years since Nazi liberation
Rome this week is celebrating the 70th anniversary since the city was liberated from the Nazis, on June 4th 1944, a moment described by Mayor Ignazio Marino as one of "uncontrollable joy" in the Italian capital.
Allied troops marched into Rome 70 years ago today, and were greeted by crowds of cheering citizens as Nazi forces retreated north. The long-awaited liberation came more than four months after the Allies landed on the banks of Anzio, south-west of Rome, where they battled against Nazi troops at a cost of thousands of lives.
SEE ALSO: WWII landings re-enacted to mark 70th anniversary
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the “fundamental date for the history of Rome and Italy”, Marino said images from the city’s liberation reflected citizens’ “uncontrollable joy”.
“From their faces, from their gestures you can perceive the extraordinary emotion: the recapturing of the city.
“The Romans retaking Rome; the buildings, the palaces, the streets, the squares that for centuries were part of their lives and which suddenly, with brutality, someone, the Nazi occupiers, took away,” Marino said.
To mark the occasion city hall, has organized a series of free events, including concerts, theatre performances and exhibitions across the Italian capital.
They include a projection of the occupation film Open City (Roma Città Aperta), by the late director Roberto Rossellini, held at the Roman forum on Saturday evening. An exhibition of life under the Nazis opened today at Rome’s Victor Emmanuel Monument.
Click here for the full calendar of events (in Italian)
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Allied troops marched into Rome 70 years ago today, and were greeted by crowds of cheering citizens as Nazi forces retreated north. The long-awaited liberation came more than four months after the Allies landed on the banks of Anzio, south-west of Rome, where they battled against Nazi troops at a cost of thousands of lives.
SEE ALSO: WWII landings re-enacted to mark 70th anniversary
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the “fundamental date for the history of Rome and Italy”, Marino said images from the city’s liberation reflected citizens’ “uncontrollable joy”.
“From their faces, from their gestures you can perceive the extraordinary emotion: the recapturing of the city.
“The Romans retaking Rome; the buildings, the palaces, the streets, the squares that for centuries were part of their lives and which suddenly, with brutality, someone, the Nazi occupiers, took away,” Marino said.
To mark the occasion city hall, has organized a series of free events, including concerts, theatre performances and exhibitions across the Italian capital.
They include a projection of the occupation film Open City (Roma Città Aperta), by the late director Roberto Rossellini, held at the Roman forum on Saturday evening. An exhibition of life under the Nazis opened today at Rome’s Victor Emmanuel Monument.
Click here for the full calendar of events (in Italian)
Don't miss a story about Italy - Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
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