Credits: Comune di Ampezzo
Where are we?
We are in Ampezzo
Even if for a very short time (August-October 1944), here it was one of the largest free zone in the whole of northern Italy.
On 26th September 1944, the Government Council of the Free Zone of Carnia and Friuli was formed in Ampezzo. Carnia was the largest of the Partisan Republics, covering 2,580 square kilometres with a population of 90,000, 38 fully liberated and 7 partially liberated municipalities. It was an extraordinary example of a free and democratic area in a territory invaded and annexed by Germany.
The Republic was however short-lived. On 10th October 1944, Germans began a round-up to eradicate the free zone. However, Carnia was a month-long experiment in form of self-government characterised by autonomous decision-making, without constraints or interference, and with the power to legislate. Moreover, although limited, the right of women to vote in Italy was first recognised within the Republic of Carnia, long before the elections of 1946. In those difficult conditions, the principles of democracy that had seemed forgotten were reasserted, foreshadowing the foundational values of republican Italy.
Various initiatives have been promoted by several institutions, including the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Municipality of Ampezzo, and the University of Udine. These seek to share the history, memory, and values of this experiment in democracy.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Facility or museum: no
Website: repubblicadellacarnia1944.uniud.it
Geographic location: Ampezzo (UD), Friuli-Venezia Giulia
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