The history of Rome and Italy’s past can be found everywhere, even when you move a few kilometres from Rome. Two cemeteries remind us of the landing of the allies during the Second World War, and today I would like to talk to you about these two places.
I start from the Sicily – Rome American Cemetery and Memorial (largo Vittime of 11 September 2001, Nettuno). It was built as a temporary cemetery on January 24, 1944, two days after the landing in Anzio and Nettuno and it is located in the area of advancement of the third division of American infantry. The permanent cemetery (and the monument) were then finished in 1956. In this cemetery are buried American soldiers who died during the liberation of Sicily (10 July – 17 August 1943), the landing in Salerno (9 September ’43), with all subsequent battles, and during the arrival of Anzio. Very large, it is a very neat and peaceful cemetery: the spaces are extensive, and everything is organised in a meticulous and not showy way: a place dedicated to tranquillity and, above all, to the memory of the deceased.
Very interesting is the chapel dedicated to the missing soldiers, which is divided into several areas. The first part, which is the actual chapel, where we find all the names of soldiers lost during the war (the ceiling is beautiful), a second, where we see very accurate drawings that explain the landings and movements of the allied troops. Between these two areas is the sculpture called “brothers of arms”.
It was also interesting to have found a small Italian garden near the area with the graphic explanations of the battles. At the entrance, there are the bathrooms and an “information area” where you can find several leaflets (in various languages) with many historical explanations on the cemetery. I noticed that, as happens in the non-Catholic cemetery of Rome, the locals seem to appreciate a lot of tranquillity and come here to
enjoy it: the day I visited it, many seemed to be there to make a simple walk and discover this place (and not to attend a soldier buried here). I advise you to jump in and find out; you may be pleasantly surprised too. The second cemetery I want to talk to you about, smaller and quieter, is the Beach Head War Cemetery, in the locality of Falasche (near Anzio). This is the English War Cemetery, which houses the bodies of 2,358 British soldiers who fell in the battles that saw the territory of Anzio as a war scenario during the Second World War. Visitors to the entrance are welcomed by the monument entitled “Stone of Remembrance”, while at the bottom is the so-called “Cross of the Sacrifice”. This cemetery, like the American one of Neptune, is a destination for visitors coming from Great Britain and the United States each year, attracted by the desire to reach the burial place of their loved ones or just their compatriots who fell during the Second World War.