4. The Continuum of Freedom: Calamandrei’s Plaque

These words, inspired by the thought of Piero Calamandrei (1889–1956) — jurist, writer, politician, and one of the architects of the Republican Constitution — establish an inseparable link between the three historical moments of our journey.
Calamandrei deeply understood that the struggle for freedom knows no interruptions in a people’s history. The faces of oppressors may change — from Radetzky to Kesselring — and the names of liberation may differ — Risorgimento or Resistance — but the fundamental yearning remains the same: the will of a people to be free, to live with dignity, and to build a future of peace and justice.
The young volunteers who fell at Curtatone in 1848, the patriots hanged at Belfiore, the ten soldiers executed at Aldriga: all belong to the same spiritual family, all passed down to future generations that “rebellious flame” which gallows and torture cannot extinguish.

The route along the Road of Freedom is not only a historical itinerary but also a reminder for the present and future. Remembering these martyrs means understanding that freedom is never permanently secured; every generation must know how to defend and preserve it.

As Professor Ettore Bonora wrote in his commemorative speech on September 19, 1945:
“To remember, for us, means to understand. And one must not only recall a date, but define the contours of an event. Only then will its lesson be valid.”

The heroes of Curtatone, Belfiore, and Aldriga did not seek glory or martyrdom. They were students, priests, professionals, workers, peasants — ordinary people who, when faced with the choice between freedom and slavery, dignity and submission, chose to remain faithful to their values, even at the cost of their lives.

Their message is universal: history progresses when ordinary people know how to become heroes, when daily effort transforms into extraordinary courage, and when love for one’s land becomes a sacrifice for future generations.