by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Giorgio Rossi, Trieste Councilor for Culture and Tourism
The city will commemorate Italy’s Liberation Day on April 25 with a series of ceremonies centered on the Risiera di San Sabba, as 2026 marks both the 81st anniversary of liberation and the 50th anniversary of the trial over crimes committed at the site.
The main event will take place at 11 a.m. on April 25 in the courtyard of the Risiera di San Sabba, the former Nazi concentration camp and now national monument. Attendance will be open to the public until capacity is reached.
Commemorations begin on April 23 with a ceremony honoring victims of a 1944 Nazi execution in Via Ghega, followed on April 24 by wreath-laying events across the city at sites tied to the Resistance. The program concludes on April 30 with a ceremony marking the 1945 uprising in Trieste.
City officials also highlighted the nearing completion of renovation work at the Risiera, which will include new educational and public spaces aimed at younger generations.
Alongside official ceremonies, a program of cultural events will explore the site’s history through performances, exhibitions and talks. These initiatives place particular emphasis this year on the 1976 trial, widely seen as a milestone in Italy’s confrontation with Nazi-era crimes.
Additional commemorations include an exhibition at the Trieste courthouse, a new memorial plaque marking the trial’s verdict, and a two-day academic conference in May organized with the University of Trieste.
Officials said the anniversary aims not only to honor the past, but also to reinforce public understanding of its legacy.
