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Palestrina Italy: the specter of WWII

Summer 2019, in the countryside of Palestrina, a gem on the outskirts of Rome unknown to most of the tourists who are visiting Rome, the specter of the II World War reappears.
For its high strategic importance, Palestrina Italy began to suffer the Allied bombing since November 1943.

Now memories recall the violent bombing that devastated Palestrina at the end of the Second World War and brought to light the Temple of the Goddess Fortuna Primigena

Palestrina Italy: summer 2019

In the countryside of Palestrina Italy, a gem on the outskirts of Rome unknown to most of the tourists who are visiting Rome, the specter of the Second World War reappears. Memories recall the violent bombing that devastated Palestrina at the end of the Second World War and brought to light the Temple of the Goddess Fortuna Primigena.

Palestrina-ritrovamento-bellico

An unexploded 250-pound American-style bomb has been founded between Palestrina and Zagarolo. Five Thousand people within 1.7 km (1 mile) have been evacuated.

A few years ago in the same area and more properly in the countryside between Zagarolo and Gallicano in Lazio a German arsenal was founded.

The arsenal was found hidden in one of the many caves dug in the tuff by the ancient inhabitants of the area.

Composed of tanks, machine guns, ammunition, bombs, and dynamite, the arsenal had been abandoned by the Germans now on the run and had subsequently been discovered and used by a gang of bank robbers during their raids.

Palestrina-ritrovamento-bellico

An unexploded 250-pound American-style bomb has been founded between Palestrina and Zagarolo. Five Thousand people within 1.7 km (1 mile)  have been evacuated.
A few years ago in the same area and more properly in the countryside between Zagarolo and Gallicano in Lazio a German arsenal was founded.
The  arsenal was found hidden in one of the many caves dug in the tuff by the ancient inhabitants of the area.
Composed of tanks, machine guns, ammunition, bombs, and dynamite, the arsenal had been abandoned by the Germans now on the run and had subsequently been discovered and used by a gang of bank robbers during their raids.

What happened in Palestrina that fateful spring day in 1944?

During World War II, Palestrina played a crucial role as a logistical center for the Nazi war machine, strategically positioned along the Cassino line and Anzio-Nettuno.

On June 1, 1944, the Allies executed airstrikes on Palestrina, with 36 air fortresses conducting two bombing runs at 9:30 in the morning and later in the afternoon.

 

Tragically, the casualties primarily comprised civilians, totaling around 300 lives lost. The relentless air raids forced the population of Palestrina to disperse, seeking refuge in the countryside and on the Prenestini Mountains, often in makeshift shelters like huts, shepherd’s shelters, and caves.

 

Operation Strangle aimed to sever German army communication routes. American flying fortresses, supporting the Anzio and Nettuno landings expected in the subsequent days, extensively bombarded both Palestrina and the Zagarolo district.

 

Palestrina, reduced to ruins, witnessed liberation on the morning of June 4, 1944, by the troops of the French Expeditionary Force in Italy. Simultaneously, the bulk of the Allied forces redirected from Valmontone toward the capital.

 

Amidst the ruins, a symbol of resilience emerged—the temple of the Goddess Fortuna Primigena. Despite suffering Allied bombings since November 1943, the strategic importance of Palestrina endures, and echoes of wartime still resonate today.

The temple of the Goddess Fortuna Primigena in Palestrina Italy

The temple of the Goddess Fortuna Primigena in Palestrina  is an amazing constrution built at the end of the 2nd century B.C..

Palestrina Italy: a must see when visiting Rome

Palestrina, represent one of the hidden gems outside Rome, unknown to most of the foreigners visiting Rome.

Apart from the temple of the Goddes Fortuna Primigena the history of Palestrina Italy is connected to The Avignon Papacy, a conflict between the papacy and the French crown, culminating with the move of the papal enclave at Avignon in France.

Furthermore, Palestrina Italy is the birth town of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and representative of the Roman School of musical composition.

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