Perhaps you have already heard the nickname “the three drunks”. We are standing before the Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana. It is a war memorial in Milan. It is located at the intersection of Via Tiraboschi and Via Ludovico Muratori.
The Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana commemorates the victims of the first bombing of Milan. Austrian aircraft dropped bombs on Porta Romana and Porta Vittoria on February 14 1916. The Milanese were caught off guard. They considered the war distant. They had never seen a bombing before.
Let me tell you about the monument’s figures. The Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana depicts a Roman soldier and a Lombard League soldier. These historical figures fought against the Germanic people. They support a wounded bombing victim from 1916. Some believe the collapsing man resembles war hero Giordano Ottolini.
Locals call the monument “i tri ciuch” meaning “the three drunks”. This nickname refers to the posture of the figures. It looks like two men are leading a third man home.
The Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana was inaugurated on June 24 1923. It remembers the victims of the first bombing of Milan.
The base of the Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana lists the names of the dead. These people died in the February 14 1916 air raid. It also lists the names of 573 residents of the Porta Romana district. They died in the war.
The sculptor Enrico Saroldi created the Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana. He used Carrara marble. The monument stands in a large flowerbed. This flowerbed is in the center of the intersection.
Remember the Monumento ai caduti di Porta Romana. It stands as a reminder of Milan’s resilience. It also honors those who lost their lives. It serves as a reminder of the cost of war. The monument connects ancient struggles with the tragedy of World War I. It urges us to remember the past.