The Liberation of Rome Conference held in Anzio’s Villa Corsini Sarsina to mark the 80^th anniversary of the end of the occupation of Italy’s capital on 4 June 1944 heard 40 speakers from Italy and abroad share untold stories of events in the Second World War.

Some 150 delegates attended the event which was organised with the support of Assoknowledge by the Freedom for Italy network on 31 May-1 June.

The conference opened with presentations from representatives of the cities of Anzio and Nettuno and the Chief of Italy’s Defence Staff. Live amateur radio coverage of the event was launched in the conference’s first morning.

The role of Italian armed forces in battles leading to the end of Nazi rule in Rome was highlighted by Professor Maria Pasaqualini; Professor Ruggero Ranieri of the Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello of Perugia; local historian Alessandro Campaign and Italian campaign expert Professor Federico Ciavattone. They described extensive and effective operations conducted by Italian soldiers. Michele di Lonardo told the story of the commemorations in May for the end of the battles of Cassino which culminated on 18 May 1944 with the capture of the abbey of Monte Cassino by II Polish Corps led by General Wladyslaw Anders.

Major Antoine Egret of the French defence historical service in Paris told the conference about the critical part played by the French Expeditionary Corps in breaking the German Gustav Line south of Monte Cassino in 1944. Its success restored French pride and proved French soldiers could play a major part in defeating Adolph Hitler.

Poland’s ambassador to Rome Anna Maria Anders and historian Marco Patricelli highlighted II Polish Corps in the Italian campaign. Ms Anders’ father General Anders is buried in the cemetery with the ashes of his wife and more than 1,000 Polish soldiers who died in the area.

A new generation was honoured in the Thank You Dear Friends letter writing competition for local schools. Arianna Anastasi Valenza of Santa Lucia Filippini di Nettuno; Giorgia Lo Piccolo of Emanuela Loi di Nettuno and Maddalena Baccellini of Centro di Formazione Professionale received certificates of recognition presented by Colonel Brian Sheridan and Major Daniel Martinez of the US embassy in Rome; Lt Colonel Matt Smith of the British embassy, Thomas Rieberling of the German embassy and Colonel AMK Mankayi of the South African Embassy.

Other representatives of diplomatic missions in Rome included Fabrice Maiolino of the Embassy of France and David Connell of the US embassy.

The work of international war graves organisations was discussed by Commonwealth War Graves Commission marketing executive Giordano Righetti; historian Pietro Rogacien; head of memory policy in France Christian Douale and Mark Ireland of the American Battle Monuments Commission.  They presented their organisations’ policies and future plans.

Marco Altobello of Campomarino; Alberto Baldazzi of Castel del Rio and Salvino Casaldi director of Museo dello Sbarco in Nettuno described the work of their military museums.

Sir Nick Young of the Monte San Martino Trust discussed the work of the trust and the bravery of Italian families who helped his father Lesley escape from a prisoner of war camp in 1943/44.

Historians included Pat DeQuattro a retired admiral, on the role of the US Coast Guard; James McFarlane on Rome and the Second World War; Mark Howard on photographs of the Italian Campaign and Daniel Crampton on the London Irish Rifles.

Monte Cassino e La Valle di Liri (Monte Cassino and the Liri Valley — a new documentary film about events in the Italian Campaign in 1943 that culminated in the four battles for Cassino – was introduced by Paolo Cappelli of the Italian Defence General Staff and discussed by Professor Maria Gabriella Pasqualini and Professor Giancarlo Loffarelli.

The role of business was presented by representatives of Italian high-technology firms and introduced by Assoknowledge director Alessandro Sciolari.

Robert Desourdis unveiled plans for the Freedom for Italy network.

The conference closed with a presentation about the 8^th Army in Italy by Liberation of Rome conference chairman Edmund O’Sullivan.

You can seen the agenda here.

You can see photographs from the conference here.