“I am constantly amazed by man’s inhumanity to man.” Primo Levi
Despite the fact that Fascist Italy had been one of the key Axis powers, the Allies, especially the Americans, were treated as liberators when they entered Rome. This was in part because of the German occupation. Source: U.S. Army.
This celebration is performed by Italians dressed with uniforms of US Soldiers and Marines supported by real Jeep’s and armored cars and it is held every year at September 1st at the Capri Island at the Napoli Gulf.
It happened twice, first the real thing at September 1st, 1996 as can be seen printed in the pictures, then recently a closed friend let me use his slides scanner and I started to digitalize all my slides & negatives taken at all my previous trips around the world.
Hotel – Ana Capri
It seemed to me that I did enter a time capsule as several facts already forgotten came to my mind live again. This is one of those reminds that must be revived again as freedom be it from a physical slavery or mind slaved standpoint is always a quest to be realized.
I came to Ana Capri for a timely vacation with my wife Thereza and we arrived there exactly at August 30th when we were notified by the hotel concierge that next day starting at the night fall an yearly celebration known as “Settembrata” was going to take place and we were invited to participate – we were the only Hotel guests – as this is a celebration that only Ana Capri citizens were allowed to enroll.
We decided to do it and at the fall of the celebration day we received tickets for it and it started by a continuous people lane where all of them received flowers, banners as it started moving with all people singing local songs amidst narrow streets all decorated.
First stop was for a cup of wine and some appetizers – “entrés” – with a round dance after it following through the streets to the next stop for a “primo piatto” also with a glass of wine then … “secondo piatto”, … till we reached a small square where we spotted several US Soldiers – as we firstly imagine – with the American Flag – yet singing in Italian!
We asked our feast fellows about such an incredible fact when we knew that was a celebration of Italy WW II freedom granted by the Allies, specially the American Army, Navy and Air Force. Then following though the streets, squares and gardens, lots of Soldiers, Marines, Jeeps, Armored cars, etc., where met with songs, flowers, speeches and whatsoever might be realized about.
A real big party. Only people that can think, knows how to be grateful for a freedom! I haven’t yet returned to see if the celebration repeats at the very same day!
I hope it could help in support of US Soldiers, Marines and Pilots in the eternal fight against ignorance, slavery and to all democracy enemies as well. There is another essay at my site helping in the understand about our individual and collective war towards a more Just and Righteous World. It can be downloaded here.
Marcelo F. Antunes
Photos: © Marcelo F. Antunes
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