Isernia during WWII
A small local museum guided us through a tragic chapter in recent Molise history with special focus on Isernia during WWII.
Thunder storms had washed out the outdoor cafés on Corso Marcelli, twilight concealed the views and a fenced-in archeological excavation looked like just another hole in the ground. It could be a very long evening for us as tourists in Isernia.
Light shone from a corner of the piazza, however, so I tried the moth-trick and found a small sign saying ‘Pro Loco’, which could mean anything really. In Italy, every town has a non-profit society for local history and tourism and sometimes it’s a private club, sometimes a library and sometimes an exhibition. It all depends on the efforts and initiatives of volunteers.
A Special Anniversary
In this case, I thought I glimpsed a small museum, so I went down into the basement and asked the two ladies at the door, if I could have a look around.
– Yes, yes, but we are closing shortly, so you have to hurry. One of us has an old person, who must not be kept waiting. Just sign the book and walk through, one of them said.
She spoke good English with a strong American accent and typical Italian impatience.
– Today is a very special day for us, she continued. It’s September 10th – the anniversary of the bomb that destroyed a third of Isernia in 1943. We have just had a celebration to mark the date.
The guests had left, but we were still surrounded by mannequins dressed up as priests, nurses, blackshirts, as well as uniformed German and American soldiers arranged in small tableaus. Showcases displayed other kinds of WWII memorabilia like matchboxes, chewing gum, cigarette packets, surgical instruments and cotton gauze, but constant rushing didn’t leave time to dwell on the exhibits.
Some of the exhibits from WWII in Isernia. The statue in the middle is Isernia’s patron saint San Pietro Celestino.
The Boy in the Well
On the way out the woman seemed to regret her pushiness.
– Did you see the boy in the well, she asked, and pulled me back inside to show a glassed over hole in the floor with a boy mannequin at the bottom.
– After the bombing 7 children were found hiding in wells, most of them without clothes on. This boy was alive, when he was rescued, but unfortunately he died a few days afterwards.
To emphasize the gruesome story she led me to a broken iron casing and said:
– This is the bomb! It was found a few years ago among the roots of a tree by a man doing paving work – Right outside where you see the statue of our patron saint Pietro Celestino.
The tone of voice seemed to indicate some kind of miracle or divine intervention, but I haven’t quite figured out how. Outside the marbled impersonation of the only pope to have abdicated the papacy just spread his arms in a gesture that is more of a shrug than an embrace.
More notes on Italian history like Isernia during WWII
Medicine and gardens in Salerno
I’ve never even heard of Isernia until reading this post, but it sounds like it’s full of history. I also didn’t know that every town in Italy has a non-profit society for local history and tourism. What a great idea!
So interesting the quirky little places one stumbles on to in Italy.
Yes, but I think it’s the same everywhere. There’s always something strange and wonderful around.
is there a website for this museum? I had relatives who were didn’t survive the bomb. My grandfather Angelo Formichelli and a few of his siblings had already emigrated to America, but 2 of his sisters did not survive the bomb. I would love more information.
If you follow the link under ‘museum’ in the blog post, you’ll come to the relevant page under Isernia Turismo. It’s not exactly a website, but there’s a postal address and a phone number, if you want to contact someone. Unfortunately, the text does not exist in an English version – in spite of the British flag – so you’ll have to run it through google translate yourself, if you don’t read Italian. Good luck with finding out more about you family history:)
My father,Nicholas Formichelli ,had cousins living In Isernia and did visit them while with the USArmy as they passed through Isernia during WWII. We took a side trip from Rome to visit Isernia this past November and did see the museum and the saw Formichelli name posted on the wall of fallen patriots.We also took a family picture standing beneath a Via Formichelli street sign .There is a website for the museum
I love it when you share these personal memories and family histories. There’s a link to the Isernia Museum’s homepage in the top line of the blog post.
Anthony,
My name is Cosmo Formichelli. My parents and grandparents are from Isernia and survived the bombing. Wondering if there’s any connection with our families. Here’s my email: cosmo.formichelli@yahoo.com. Would be great to hear from you!
Cosmo
We’ll leave it here and hope some relatives get back to you:)
I have visited this museum and the lady who takes care of it “Maria Luisa” is a wonderful lady, very smart and with great sense of humor and incredible knowledge of history and culture. Isernia is pure bliss! History (WWII), ancient history (pre-Roman Samnite), paleontology (700000 years old settlement), extreme natural beauty: mountains, rivers, lakes.. natural parks, FOOOOD..delicious. I have visited this region and would like to visit 100 more times and even more if I can.
Thank you for this enthusiastic recommendation of the wonders of Isernia. It’s is definitely a gem in a sadly overlooked part of Italy.
Thanks for the post. I just returned from Italy tracing some of my Dads experience in WWII . I found all the Italians patient and very friendly and welcoming, especially when I smiled and tried to greet them in my inept Italian. Best Regards, tom r
I’m glad to hear that, as it reflects my own perception of and experiences with most Italians;) And what a remarkable and emotional quest you have undertaken by tracing history in that way. I imagine I would find some of the places quite unsettling in context.
Not sure why I happened to look up the bombing of Isernia, must be because I watched the footage of the bombing of Monte Cassino yesterday. I have been to Isernia and Monte cassino. My parents and relatives came from Miranda which is just above Isernia. My uncles who have now passed would tell me how they remember the bombings and watching the Germans and Allies march through the town. It was a scary time for them. Hope to go back and visit again.
Just watching TV ‘The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys’ episode ‘The Neapolitan Line, Italy’ and paused when the narrator said on 10 September 1942 ‘waves of B-52s’ bombed the railway viaduct but ‘missed every time’ hitting the town instead. As B-52s first flight was 1952, I guess it was B-45s or such
How interesting. I never knew the bombing of Isernia during WWII was undeliberate.