gold medal for civil valor town of Anzio

On 25 April 2004 during a solemn ceremony at the Quirinale Palace Banner of the City of Anzio was awarded the Gold Medal of Civil Merit.

The reward of Civil Merit, according to L. June 20, 1956 No 658, is designed to reward people, the institutions and bodies that have been lavished with exceptional sense of self-denial, to alleviate the suffering of others or in any way in helping those who have found themselves in need.

The honor was awarded by the President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, on the following grounds:

"The town of Anzio, strategically important to the center of the Tyrrhenian coast, during the Second World War, was the scene of violent clashes between opposing factions, experiencing devastating bombings and fierce reprisals that caused the death of many citizens, including many children, and the almost total destruction of the town and port. The population, forced displacement and the evacuation and abandonment of all personal property, had to seek refuge in neighboring countries or in makeshift caves, suffering from starvation and hard. The survivors were able to react with dignity and courage, and face the horrors of war, with the return to peace, the difficult work of reconstruction. Admirable example of self-sacrifice and patriotism. "