Vistas and views in, around, and from the original “Cap Hill.” x
The Arch of Constantine near the Colosseum, inspiration for the Arc de Triomphe and all triumphalists for centuries to come. x
If you ask me, it’s Golden Hour all day in Rome, but the setting summer sun does all the heavy lifting in travel photography. x
On our last day, we went to the Museum of the Liberation of Rome, located in an apartment building at Via Tasso 145 that used to house the cultural offices of the German embassy, before being converted into an SS prison during Germany’s nine-month occupation of Rome.
This period followed the 45 days (“i quarantacinque giorni”) of chaos after the fall of Mussolini, when the provisional government publicly claimed that Italy would continue fighting alongside the Axis, while secretly negotiating an armistice with the Allied Forces. On September 3, 1943, Italy signed the Armistice of Cassibile in secret. This was announced publicly five days later, with Italy effectively switching sides, though the government had made almost no preparations for the inevitable Nazi response and ended up largely abandoning Rome and the Italian military without clear orders that very night.
On September 10, Germany invaded and occupied the city. This is the period when this building was converted into an SS headquarters, interrogation center, and prison. x
More art and antiquity from the Musei Capitolini. This would not be the sole Medusa we see during our trip. x
Between October 1943 and June 1944, hundreds of Resistance members, Jews, Allied soldiers, political prisoners, and civilians were held here. Many were tortured. Some were later deported to concentration camps, while others were among the 335 victims of the Ardeatine Caves massacre in March 1944.
There are so many artifacts in this museum, some of which were literally scratched into the walls. There are also examples of Nazi propaganda as well as clandestine publications of the anti-fascist forces. One of the most moving artifacts on display here is a loaf of bread where Ignazio Vian, a Resistance fighter, carved his final farewell to his family before his execution: “Coraggio mamma.” Be strong, mom. x