You see a large bronze statue of a young man, his head thrown back, his arms clasped behind his back, as if he was being shot in the back. This is Il Partigiano e il Vescovo, a monument that commemorates the lives of those who fought and died for freedom during World War II. The statue is a replica of a piece originally created by Marino Mazzacurati, now placed at the Villetta cemetery in nearby Parma. This replica stands majestically at the Campo della Gloria, or Field of Glory, a special section of the Maggiore Cemetery in Milan. Here lie the bodies of many Milanese who fought for liberation from fascism and the Nazis.
This Field of Glory commemorates not only the Partigiani, the Italian Resistance fighters, but also those who fought during the Risorgimento, the unification of Italia in the 19th century. The monument creates a powerful symbol of Italian history, and it pays tribute to the sacrifices made by those who sought a better future for their nation. Behind the statue, the names of the fallen are inscribed on granite walls, some covered in plates of clear crystal.
The Campo della Gloria was first established in 1945, and it was initially a field with simple slabs bearing the names of the fallen. The first permanent monument was erected in 1949, a design by the architect Umberto Comolli. This design was later modernized in 1997, with the addition of the bronze statue of the Fucilato, the executed partigian, standing on a raised platform in front of the granite walls.
The Il Partigiano e il Vescovo is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices of those who fought for the freedom of Italy. As you stand before the statue, let those names inscribed on the walls remind you of the history of this country and of the importance of freedom and resistance.