Castelfiorentino is celebrating 25 April, the 81st anniversary of Liberation Day, with a few changes to the programme. The motorcade to lay laurel wreaths in the surrounding villages will, for the first time, take place in the morning, whilst the ceremony and the procession on foot in the main town will be held as usual in the afternoon. The gathering with civil and military authorities, veterans’ associations and Resistance groups is scheduled for 11.00 a.m. at the car park in Via Irma Bandiera, near the PalaBetti (Sports Hall). From here, the motorcade will proceed to the Municipal Cemetery for the laying of a laurel wreath at the grave of Nello Niccoli, before moving on to Petrazzi (War Dead), then to Granaiolo (memorial stone of Aladino Bartaloni), and to Castelnuovo d’Elsa (War Memorial) with a subsequent stop at the ‘Fiore del partigiano’ (gardens of the former Castelnuovo primary school), and finally to Dogana (memorial plaque to Mario Bustichini).
At 12.30 p.m., the “Partisan Lunch” is scheduled to take place at the “Puppino” Club (“Puppino” recipe starter; pappardelle with Cinta Senese ragù; stuffed roast pork; roast potatoes; ice cream; water; wine; coffee; cost: €25; bookings: +39 3391165723).
In the afternoon, the gathering in Piazza Gramsci is scheduled for 4.30 p.m. From here, a procession on foot will set off to lay laurel wreaths at the plaque of Giuseppe Garibaldi (Piazza del Popolo), the plaque commemorating the seven anti-fascists arrested in 1943 (Via Terino), the memorial stone of Cesare Manetti and the War Memorial (Piazza Gramsci). This will be followed in Piazza Gramsci by a concert by the ‘G. Verdi’ Philharmonic Orchestra and a commemoration of the anniversary, featuring speeches by the Mayor, Francesca Giannì, and the President of the ANPI, Marco Cappellini, with the participation of the Youth Town Council.
The anniversary celebrations are organised by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino, in collaboration with ANPI and SPI CGIL (the “Alvaro Bianchi” branch of Castelfiorentino) and local schools.
“This year”, emphasises the Mayor, Francesca Giannì, “we have celebrated the 80th anniversary of women’s first time at the ballot box, with a rediscovery of the role played by the women of Castelfiorentino in the Liberation struggle. Therefore, partly for logistical reasons linked to the clash with the weekly market, we decided to start the motorcade in the morning from the car park on Via Irma Bandiera, named after the Resistance partisan and Gold Medal recipient who sacrificed her life in the struggle for freedom. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who, in various capacities, have helped organise this anniversary, which has always held a very special place in the history of our community”.
