Florence will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January with a programme of free guided visits at some of the city’s most important places of memory.
Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed every year on the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945. In Italy, it is an official day dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and to those deported, persecuted or killed under Nazi and Fascist rule.
Former Murate prison opens to the public
Two free guided tours will take place at the former Murate prison at 3 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. on 27 January.
The visits focus on the building’s role as a prison in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and include access to the “hard prison” section, the strictest detention area.
Several prominent anti-Fascist intellectuals were once held there, including Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti, Carlo Levi and Gaetano Salvemini.
During the Second World War, the Murate also served as a holding centre for people later deported to Nazi concentration camps.
Museo Novecento focuses on art under dictatorship
At the same times, Museo Novecento will host two thematic guided tours dedicated to Italian art during the years of dictatorship and war.
The visits explore the experiences of artists who faced persecution or opposed the Fascist regime.
Works by Mario Mafai, Carlo Levi and Renato Guttuso feature in the itinerary, alongside a focus on collector Alberto Della Ragione, who helped protect artists and preserve their work.
Memorial of Deportations offers extended programme
The Memorial of Deportations will also offer free guided tours on several dates: 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31 January at 10 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., and on 1 February at 11.30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.
The site hosts the immersive installation originally created by Italy for the Auschwitz extermination camp and later relocated to Florence. Participation is free, but booking is required by phone on +39 055 0541450 or by email at info@musefirenze.it.
Further talks and in-depth events are planned in collaboration with the Tuscany regional government and local institutions.
