Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared that wars are again casting “grim shadows” with a ferocity history had revealed but humanity hoped was forever banished. In a message marking the 79th anniversary of the Stazzema massacre, he emphasized that the 1944 atrocity—an “indelible wound” in Italy’s history—compels society to reject human-on-human violence and foster coexistence grounded in equal rights.
On August 12, 1944, Nazi forces perpetrated one of WWII’s bloodiest massacres in Sant’Anna di Stazzema and surrounding hamlets, slaughtering over 500 defenseless civilians—women, elderly, refugees, and children—before piling and burning their bodies. Mattarella described the event as a “horrific ordeal,” symbolizing both war’s brutality, the SS’s annihilation doctrine, and “dishonorable fascist complicities.”
The President affirmed that Italy recognizes this martyrdom site as a foundational pillar of the Republic, noting how Stazzema’s community—and the nation—drew strength from tragedy to reclaim human dignity, build democracy, and pursue peace. He stressed that collective memory unites generations, safeguards national identity, and inoculates consciences against resurgent violence, hatred, and domination.
Mattarella concluded that human dignity and communal solidarity remain the urgent legacy of survivors who endured horror to rebuild—a timeless imperative as conflict resurges globally.