As every year, the communities of Albano and Castel Gandolfo come together to commemorate the victims of the bombing of the Propaganda Fide College on February 10, 1944. This was one of the bloodiest wartime events of World War II in the Castelli Romani, with hundreds of victims who had taken refuge in the Papal Villas, relying on the neutrality of the Vatican State during the conflict.

The horror of that bombing is still etched in the collective memory of a community deeply scarred by the loss of its loved ones.

On Monday, February 10, at 2:00 PM, the traditional Peace March, organized by the History and Memory Association, will take place, involving the municipalities of Castel Gandolfo and Albano.

On Wednesday, February 12, in the morning, a second Peace March will be led by the eighth-grade students from all schools in Albano and Castel Gandolfo.

As stated by Ada Scalchi the president of the History and Memory Association: “We have a duty to keep the memory alive to prevent the mistakes of the past from being repeated. The new generations are picking up the baton of an important history that deeply impacted our communities. Only through understanding the errors of the past can we build new paths to peace.”

The Laudato si’ Higher Education Center supports and participates in the event, welcoming the two marches at the Papal Villas Gardens in Castel Gandolfo, as they make their way to the Propaganda Fide College for a moment of prayer and commemoration of all the victims of war.

For more information: info@laudatosi.va