Civitella in Val di Chiana
Deliverance from a difficult history through art

I hear people talking as they pass by: “one of the best examples of a reticulum in a fortified city of under Lombard control…” Follow-up comments come quickly: "a wonderful structure from between the sixth and seventh centuries". I smile secretly. If only it had always been like this around here! Sometimes, it seems as though history has been relentless in its attacks on this small village southwest of Arezzo, leaving deep wounds even on the town walls themselves. We could never forget the battle of Pieve al Toppo–even Dante spoke about it in the thirteenth canto of Inferno! Even worse, though, was just over 70 years ago, when, during World War II, our streets were the scene of a terrible Nazi massacre: 173 people’s lives were lost. We certainly haven’t forgotten that history and to ensure it never happens again, the City, in collaboration with the “Civitella Ricorda” association, put together a “Memory Room,” or “Sala di Memoria”, in Civitella’s Via Martiri. In this room, you’ll find remains and objects associated with the victims; photographs of the town before and after the destruction; eyewitness accounts; books; videos and many other remnants of wartime.