Thematic sites - Municipality of Milan

Memory and Commitment have always been two of the fundamental pillars of "Libera – Names and numbers associations against the mafia” which since its inception in 1995, has operated in the territories to keep alive the memory of the innocent victims of the mafia and walks alongside their families, organizing moments of discussion and training for citizens. From this perspective, functional paths are proposed for the development of an idea of ​​memory that preserves the story of events that actually happened, not only so that the memory of what happened is preserved but also to provide tools that allow citizens to build critical thinking.

In 2021, a working and in-depth study group was created with theNational Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI) with the aim of carrying forward a common narrative capable of combining the memory of the innocent victims of the mafia with the stories of the resistance to Nazi-fascism.

The objective of the process was the development of a living memory that is no longer only linked to remembrance and commemorations but is capable of stimulating daily action from a perspective of legality and civil responsibility.

The working group was attended by:

• the volunteers of the Provincial Coordination of Libera Milano;
• of the territorial garrisons of Libera;
• of the territorial sections of the ANPI;
• students and teachers of Milanese schools.

In a first phase of the project, the subjects involved undertook an interactive path of analysis and in-depth analysis to reconstruct the stories of people and places which on the one hand testify to the commitment of the city of Milan, gold medal of the Resistance, on the path to the liberation from Nazi-fascism and on the other speak of the generous struggle for a more just society free from all forms of crime.

Eleven places of memory, symbols of these two central battles in the history of Milan, have been mapped: six places linked to the resistance (Albergo Regina, Loggia dei Mercanti, Piazzale Loreto, Carcere di San Vittore, via Rovello and Villa Triste) and five linked to history of the anti-mafia movement (Casa Ambrosoli, Falcone and Borsellino gardens, Lea Garofalo Community Garden, Piazza Diaz, via Palestro).

At the end of this first phase, the volunteers of the two associations drafted a brochure, published with the title "Milan memory" in which each individual stage is illustrated with photos, descriptions and insights resulting from the research carried out by the working group.
The text, available at the Libera Milano headquarters and distributed to the schools that took part in the second phase of the project, constitutes a valid guide for an unprecedented path of civil tourism.

An initial phase of study and comparison was followed by a phase of active protagonism in which the volunteers of the two associations were able to implement the knowledge acquired during the previous months.

Libera and ANPI proposed the "Remember-Resist in the spirit of the Constitution" project to Milanese schools, divided into three meetings with the associations' trainers.

1. The first meeting, to be held in class, was designed to provide students with the necessary tools to consciously experience the visit to places of memory by making them reflect on the founding principles of our Constitution and on the value of memory expressed in the different contexts of Libera and ANPI.
2. The second meeting represents the heart of the journey and consists of an educational trip to the places of anti-fascist and anti-mafia memory. Each participating class chose from two to four stages, in which the trainers of the two associations reconstructed together with the children the history and value of that place for the history of the City and for the construction of a collective memory.
3. The last meeting takes place again in the classroom and consists of a moment of feedback designed to reflect together with the students of each class on the themes addressed in the two previous meetings to build the legacy of this path together with them.

The final objectives of the meetings are undoubtedly the construction of a more attentive and responsible citizenry; learn about the history of the city of Milan through the lessons of the men and women protagonists of the proposed route; provide historically correct information on the places, facts and protagonists of the resistance and the anti-mafia movement; build a collective conscience on the seriousness of the mafia phenomenon by providing the tools to recognize and combat all forms of illegality.

The participation of Milanese schools was broad, a symptom of the desire of students and teachers to delve deeper into the proposed themes. The interest of the students was constant and high and is demonstrated by the spontaneous action implemented by various classes at the end of the course. Among others, we highlight: the initiative of the students of the Volta High School, who created and launched an Instagram page in total autonomy (@mi.ricordo) in which they collected the stories learned during the project by creating one post a day between 27 March and 25 April with the aim of spreading news and reflections on the topics covered.