This year many of the celebrations for the 25th April took place under teeming rain two days ago on the 23rd April (article here) but this morning for the fifth year running, “the liberation walk” up to Sommocolonia via the old mule track was in progress, this time under a blue sky and bright sunshine (even if it did snow during the night on the mountains around the city)
The 25th April is the day that Italy commemorates the liberation of the country by Allied troops in the Second World War.
The holiday is meant to honour all those who died during the war, from soldiers fighting overseas to civilian victims of Allied bombings and atrocities committed during Nazi Germany’s bitter retreat from its former allies territory.
The lives of those who served as partisans in the Italian Resistance are especially honoured.
Click on the link below to listen to Natale Bertolini reminiscing (in Italiano) about just how life was like in Barga on the first Liberation Day.
Liberation Day : 2009 | 2010 |2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 —— Last years events at Sommocolonia can be seen here