On Thursday 10 November took place in Cancellara (PZ), the commemorative ceremony dedicated to the "Fallen and Missing in the war". The event, divided into two parts, began in the morning in front of the Town Hall, where a large crowd of citizens, pupils, civil and military representatives attended the solemn ceremony of the flag-raising ceremony.
Later, a procession led by the Fanfare of the Bersaglieri headed towards the Church of the Annunziata to participate in the celebration of the Holy Mass. During the homily, the parish priest, Don Giuseppe Calabrese, exalted the sacrifice of those who with their martyrdom have allowed future generations to benefit from peace and well-being.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, the mayor Francesco Genzano thanked those who took part in the event one by one, in particular Biagio Cillo for his constant and silent commitment. In addition, addressing the boys, he urged them to pause in front of the list carved on the Tombstone of the Fallen, just as he did as a child, to look for the surname of a family member and feel proud of having the heroic blood of one of his ancestors in their veins.
Finally, the students of the Middle and Primary schools with an engaging representation have witnessed the atrocious suffering suffered by soldiers at the front. After returning from the Church, on the notes of patriotic songs and on the verses of a moving poem recited by the Mayor, the deposition of two laurel wreaths followed.
The morning ended with the inauguration and the visit - at the municipal premises - of the traveling exhibition: "from the Great War to today”, Flagship of the event for the wealth of suggestive scenes: camps, trenches and much more. In addition, a collection of helmets, medals, caps, uniforms and various memorabilia, kept as relics, left the visitors breathless.
In the late afternoon, the continuation of the ceremony took place at the former Teatrino, for a conference "In memory of the Great War". After the initial greetings, the Mayor welcomed two esteemed guests with a warm thank you: the lawyer. Rocco Di Bono, author of the book "From the Bradano to the Piave"And prof. Rocco Galasso, President of the Nastro Azzurro Institute, as well as a great historical researcher in the military field and known for his multifaceted personality. The lawyer Rocco Di Bono presented his book starting from a portrait of the daily life of our grandparents who, from a sunny wheat field, found themselves thrown into the field of war among a thousand tribulations. The professor. Galasso, retracing the most significant stages of the war, specified that - in proportion to the number of inhabitants - Basilicata has the sad distinction of having the highest number of Fallen and Missing and Decorated for valor and the least number of deserters. In a harmonious alternation of interventions, the two guests exalted the heroic deeds of simple soldiers, all very young, as well as the great humanity of the Lucan people. Finally, prof. Galasso, in concert with the mayor, in remembering the survivors of the war, has launched an appeal so that their sacrifices do not remain in oblivion and, to this end, a research work not only on the Fallen, but also on how many former combatants they returned to their homes, to be remembered as true heroes.
(photo: UTC Cancellara)
