One of the subplots of my learning on this year’s trip is about the United States role in Italy in WWII. I just had not learned enought in school. I knew that Italy was governed by Mussolini. I suppose I knew that the word “facist,” which I’m hearing so much right now with the US election upon us, was originally applied to Mussolini. But somehow, I had not understood the great importance of southern Italy as a staging area for ending Mussolini’s reign in Italy.
The 70 acre space is beautiful and solemn. There are nearly 4400 buried and marked by crosses or star of Davids. The names of more that 1400 missing and presumed dead are on the walls. Those who have been identified have a brass rosette by their names. The cemetery also has maps of the engagements in Italy.
Rome was captured in June, 1944. The heavy fighting occured after that and many of these dead were air force and/or fought in the Appenine mountains until the surrender in May 1945. How difficult that year must have been.
Every time our Italian guide spoke about this period in history, she also included “Thanks be to God,” that the Allies and Italian partisans won.
Our guide was gracious about answering my questions about how Italy honors its war dead. This cemetery is an American style of honor and not the Italian style. To her, it seems that these soldiers and airmen are resting far away from their families and this makes it difficult for anyone to visit them. Indeed, these names and markers only represent a potion of the fallen. Many more were transported back to the States and returned to their families, if requested. I don’t know how a family might decide which option they prefered.
According to our guide, Italians also do not celebrate the partisans in any other national ways. The survivors have their own fraternal organizations, and they do have occasions to recollect together, though they must be a smaller and aging number now. With some rising populism in Italy, remembering the partisans is not always popular because they are regarded as the “opposite” of fascism…and that means communism.
Oh my, how these words have taken on new meanings to the younger generations in the Western world.
Our afternooon was more lightheared, as we turned our bus and attention toward the still very serious topic of modern wine production. For wine lovers and purchasers, Marchesi Antonori is a well know and dominate brand in the market. I, naturally, had never heard of them. So, I was a bit awestruck to be entering this winery “experience.”
Our guide for this experience met us in the lobby. Her emphasis in everything she told us was on the length of time this family had been producing wine. We were ushered into a theater and watched a cinematic twenty minutes of the current three generations fingering grapes, smelling goblets of wine, and surveying cellars. With an emphasis on the children in beautiful lighting, the show of force was “we will be here for many years to come.”
We move to a tasting room and this is always interesting. I prefer the Italian wines that do not taste like French or California cabernets. According to my in-residence and traveling sommelier, the ‘structured’ cabernets were loved by the wine critic Robert Parker. So he loved Italian wines that he named “super tuscans.” I like Itailan wines that remind me of my grandfather. Smooth chiantis that blend with the savory and sometimes rich sauces, and that don’t confuse my palate when sipped with simply prepared produce. A few of the wines we tasted fell into this category. More were in the structured category since thanks to Parker, I imagine), these command a higher price.
Our evening held one more dinner and packing. Another fine trip to Italy came to an end.
