L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 Natale di Roma: Italy's capital city takes you back 2000 years Liberation Day April 25th,1945: Why Remember? gressive coming together of scat- tered small towns, even if we still like to think of Romulus who traces the sacred groove on the Palatine hill. Even the date is controversial: 753 B.C. is the year set by Latin historian Varro on the basis of calculations car- ried out by the astrologer Lucio Taruzio. The holiday, forgotten after the fall of the Roman Empire, took on new life and importance with the Risorgimento. It was the ephemeral Roman Republic of 1849 that restored the event, specifically the Mazziniani e Garibaldini, (i.e. Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi's followers), in the fight against the temporal power of the papacy. Celebrated as the National Feast during the fascist era, this event was abolished in 1945, and later restored solely among Rome's comune. With 2766 lost birthdays, the aches and the pains of the aging process are certainly not lacking. Nevertheless, the holiday retains a charm between history and folklore, and makes for a nice walk through Italian history. It's not about rediscovering an ever-present identity, but about taking an opportunity to increase knowledge and deepen awareness beyond folk events. This oppor- tunity is offered to us by a histor- ical journey which begins on April 22 nd , thanks to the project Foro di Augusto, 2000 anni dopo (Forum of Augustus, 2000 years later) conceived and edited by Piero Angela and Paco Lanciano in collaboration with Gaetano Capasso. A project of great inter- national appeal within the frame- work of the celebrations for the two thousandth anniversary of the death of Augustus (August 19, 14 A.D.). The Forum of Augustus is one of the Imperial Fora of Rome. The historian Suetonius ascribes its construction to "both the mul- titude of people and number of processes [to which] the two existing fora [the Roman and the Caesar] were no longer suffi- cient …" The Augustus Forum heralded the urban reorganiza- tion of the capital, a testimony to the new political course inaugu- rated by Octavian Augustus: the imperial age. The project of Rome's comune faithfully reconstructs the key places in this history, trying to get the remaining stones, frag- ments, and columns to "talk" as much as possible. It is a virtual reconstruction of historical preci- sion and scientific research, using special effects to recreate places as they were at the time of Augustus. A porticoed square, where on the short side, resting to the high- est perimeter wall, stood the tem- ple dedicated to Marte Ultore (Vendicatore), surrounded by eight columns on the front and on both sides. Behind the arcades, wide exedras opened up, semicircular spaces covered, sep- arated by a diaphragm of columns. The square in the center in which a colossal sculpture was paying homage to Augustus on triumphal quadriga, was not only witness to the greatness of the emperor, but also of judicial activities held in the portico, while in the temple were con- ducted the meetings of the Senate. Additionally, in its interior were guarded the insignia of the legions lost in war and subse- quently recovered, such as those lost by Quinto Publio Varo against the Germans, in the battle of the Teutoburg forest. The foro had to be abandoned before the adjacent imperial complex, so that in the VI century A.D. it was already in the process of demoli- tion. In the IX century, the church of San Basilio was built on the podium of the ancient temple. An enchanting reconstruction that isn't missing out on rigorous scientifically and historically details where anyone can savor sound, images, animation, and much more with the narra- tion of Piero Angela in six differ- ent languages that will facilitate the outstanding learning experi- ence - yet highly entertaining - of the Temple dedicated to Mars the Avenger, constructed by Augustus to honor the memory of his great uncle Julius Caesar, after his assassination. From April 22 nd to October 21 st of this year, every evening from 9pm, for 40 minutes, it's possible to travel back in time, without a time machine. 2BC- Augustus opens a new Forum named after himself and built along with a temple to the God Mars Ultor. Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 the economic and social prob- lems. Why remember? Because "just" seventy years ago the peo- ples of Europe were thrown against each other in a civil war supplied by ferocious competing ideologies. From the Resistance and the very high costs paid in human, civil and economic terms was born not only Italian democracy, but also a great movement of public opinion in favor of the European unifica- tion. On April 25 th of the year 1945 the liberation of northern Italy was accomplished. On April 27 th Mussolini was cap- tured and executed by a firing squad the following day. In December, (after the Parri provi- sional government) the De Gasperi Government, composed of all parties in the National Liberation Committee (Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale) was established. One of the most tragic periods in the history of Italy ended. Seventy years later, we cannot fail to note that the evolution of the historical judgment has seen the development of an animated controversy on the relationship between Resistance and national identity, on the actual consisten- cy and role of armed Resistance. Thus, we have "discovered" that it is not possible to consider the Resistance a popular move- ment of mass, which became so only a few days before the German yield; that there was a wide "gray zone" composed of those who, although involved, managed to survive between the "two fires" keeping out from choosing between the two par- ties. We have accepted the civil war, Italians fighting other Italians in a bloody and fero- cious showdown. In the face of historic reset of Fascism and Anti-fascism, we cannot forget that our Republic and Constitution were born from the Resistance. Certainly the process of constitution of the Italian democracy is born from the meeting of many other ideals and factors, but the legacy of the Resistance is essential. We also remember because it is impossible to forget the con- tribution given by the protection of the allied winners' powers, from aid for reconstruction and economic recovery to the Marshall Plan that have enabled Italy to take the road of the west- ernization and Europeanization that reflects the overcome obsta- cles and the sacrifices made.

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