On the 46th anniversary of Aldo Moro’s death, Sergio Mattarella laid a wreath in memory of all the victims of terrorism in Italy. Alongside him were the presidents of the Chambers, Ignazio La Russa and Lorenzo Fontana, the president of the constitutional court, Augusto Barbera, and Matteo Piantedosi, Minister of the Interior. The ceremony took place on via Caetani in Rome, where Aldo Moro’s body was found on May 9, 1978, the same day the entire Italy remembers the date when the statesman’s body was discovered. On the same day in 1978, journalist Peppino Impastato was also found murdered.
Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister, wrote on official social media channels, “Today is a date that deeply marked the memory and conscience of our Nation. It was on May 9, 1978, when the body of Aldo Moro, brutally murdered by the Red Brigades, was found in the trunk of a car on via Caetani in Rome. On the same day, Peppino Impastato was also killed by the mafia.” Meloni highlighted the importance of remembering all victims of terrorism and the massacres of such a nature, referring to the establishment of the ‘Giorno della memoria’ by the Italian Parliament in 2007.
The entire day has been dedicated to celebrating the Day of Remembrance for the victims of terrorism in Italy. The Senate of the Republic hosted a ceremony with Sergio Mattarella, Ignazio La Russa, Lorenzo Fontana, and other officials present. The national anthem was performed by students from two high schools in Rome. The ceremony included speeches by the President of the Senate and the President of the Chamber of Deputies. A video recalling the events was shown, followed by testimonies from the families of some terrorism victims. The event concluded with the award ceremony for the winners of the ‘Tracce di Memoria 2023-2024′ competition.
President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, highlighted the 46th anniversary of Aldo Moro’s murder and the killing of Peppino Impastato by the mafia on the same day in 1978. La Russa also mentioned the recent victims of international and religious terrorism, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to combatting such invisible enemies. He stressed the importance of defending democracy against evolving threats. President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, also addressed the importance of responding to the rightful demands for truth and justice from the victims’ families, emphasizing the need to uphold rights and freedoms every day.
Fontana stressed the Parliament’s efforts to declassify and publish documents related to previous investigations into terrorism, to honor the debt of truth and justice owed to the victims’ families and the entire country. He underscored the importance of safeguarding rights and freedoms daily, especially in current times marked by the risk of violence and fanaticism. Fontana called for a strong and unified response to threats towards democracy, echoing the resilience shown by the country in the past.
