Monument To The Italians Fallen In Africa, Siracusa on:
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The Monument to the Fallen Italians in Africa (Monumento ai Caduti italiani d'Africa) is a
In June of 1940, at the outbreak of Italian intervention in World War II, the bronze statues and sculpted marble reliefs were loaded on to ships for transport to Ethiopia. The outbreak of war prevented their shipment through the Suez canal, and the items were mothballed in storage. In 1952, the sculptor 
The monument recalls Ancient Roman monuments. Set atop a plinth, from the front it is approached by broad staircases. Towards the land is a larger-than-life bronze statue of a robust modern soldier on foot leading a horse, recalling the statues of the
File:Monumento ai Caduti italiani d'Africa 06.jpg,
File:Monumento ai Caduti italiani d'Africa 02.jpg,
File:Monumento ai Caduti italiani d'Africa 05.jpg,
File:Monumento ai Caduti italiani d'Africa 01.jpg, Plaque recalling the sinking of the Conte Rosso
Fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
era monument, dedicated to the Italians who died during the Ethiopian War (1935-1936), and assembled only in the 1960s on the seashore in Siracusa, region of Sicily, Italy. The monument, sculpted and designed by Romano Romanelli
Romano Romanelli (14 May 1882 – 25 September 1968) was an Italian artist, writer, and naval officer. He is best known for his sculptures and his medals.
Romanelli was born in Florence, the son of sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. Romano's wor ...
, was initially meant to be shipped in 1940 and assembled in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
in Ethiopia; however, the Second World War prevented the transport, and led to its installation more than two decades later at this site, chosen because Syracuse had been a center for embarcation of troops for the African wars.
Description
In June of 1940, at the outbreak of Italian intervention in World War II, the bronze statues and sculpted marble reliefs were loaded on to ships for transport to Ethiopia. The outbreak of war prevented their shipment through the Suez canal, and the items were mothballed in storage. In 1952, the sculptor Romano Romanelli
Romano Romanelli (14 May 1882 – 25 September 1968) was an Italian artist, writer, and naval officer. He is best known for his sculptures and his medals.
Romanelli was born in Florence, the son of sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. Romano's wor ...
proposed its placement in Siracusa, at the present scenographic locale in the piazza dei Cappuccini overlooking the Ionian sea. The assembly of a Fascist monument was not without controversy.
The monument recalls Ancient Roman monuments. Set atop a plinth, from the front it is approached by broad staircases. Towards the land is a larger-than-life bronze statue of a robust modern soldier on foot leading a horse, recalling the statues of the Dioscuri
Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, f ...
in the Quirinale
The Quirinal Palace ( it, Palazzo del Quirinale ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, one of the three current official residences of the president of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporzian ...
fountain. Flanking the portal are the years and Ethiopian battle sites. The front of the monument has a boat prow, and faces the Ionian Sea towards Africa. Surrounding the monument are bronze sculptures of elements of the army, including infantry, navy, air force (with bomb), and local African muslim mercenaries, known as Askari
An askari (from Somali, Swahili and Arabic , , meaning "soldier" or "military", which also means "police" in the Somali language) was a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African G ...
. Bas-reliefs depict battles and a tank used in the war. The interior, mainly kept shuttered has a votive chapel. The monument is prone to vandalization and graffiti.
In 1999, veterans of the paratroop regiments place a plaque in memory of the second world war Leiutenant Coronel Giovanni Alberto Bechi Luserna. In 2012, the Siracusan cultural association, Lamba Doria
Lamba D'Oria (also spelled Doria) (1245–1323) was an Italian admiral of the Republic of Genoa.
The brother of the ''capitano del popolo'' Oberto Doria, he was one of the best Genoese admirals, together with his descendant Andrea Doria. He defeat ...
, placed a plaque recalling the victims of the sinking of the ''Conte Rosso'' transport ship in 1941, while in the Siracusa port.
Gallery
Notes
*Entry is mainly translated from Italian Wikipedia entry