During the second war, the town of Pettorano sul Gizio was very
close to the action because of it's proximity to the Gustav Line, a
defensive position estabilished by the Germans to slow down the
advancing Allied forces. Pettorano's geographic coordinates and it's
major transportation corridors, motivated the Germans army to set
up a post in this locale. As the results of location and the German
army presence, the town is rich in war history, including the evacuation
of 4,000 souls when a major offensive was imminent. Some of the
evacuees scattered into neighbouring outskirts, but most of them fl ed
into the mountains near the village, seeking refuge.
I have also added another story, which I share with at least 3,000
citizen of Pettorano: the immigrant experience.The war and its
devastation on the economy made imperative the necessity to leave the
homeland in search of a better life. Many of us came to Canada. It is
from here that I recall the journey and pen these words and comment on
the events so that our children's and grandchildren's generation might
appreciate the sacrifi ces endured by their ancestors.
