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Historical Museum of the Massacre in San Terenzo and Bardine

Museum in memory of the Massacre of 19 August 1944 of the people of San Terenzo

The Massacre of San Terenzo Monti was a brutal Nazi massacre, which began on 17th and ended on 19th August in San Terenzo Monti, a small village in the Borough of Fivizzano.
A museum was set up in the former parish oratory in the centre of the village, to remember this terrible event. The museum is dedicated to Don Michele Rabino who lost his life together with other inhabitants of the village during the massacre. Inside the museum there are photographs and documents collected over the years, which recall the 159 civilians who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis.

What happened?

At the beginning of August a battalion of the 16th German Division SS “Reichsführer” made up of about 100 soldiers, led by lieutenant Albert Fischer settled in Fosdinovo,. From that moment the unit began to carry out attacks, which became more and more frequent in the surrounding villages, with the purpose of stealing food and frightening the inhabitants. The battalion went to San Terenzo many times, as they moved from the main road to Fosdinovo. The priest, Don Michele Rabino, always tried to help people, by persuading them to hand over what was requested, in the hope that the soldiers would leave the small village, already overwhelmed by the years of war. Over time, the requests of the SS soldiers became more and more pressing. On the morning of August 10th, the village of San Terenzo Monti was occupied by a battalion of SS in combat gear, which searched the houses taking cattle from stables. The battalion justified the retaliation as a warning for the killing of two German soldiers, caused by a member of the resistance at the bridge of Ceserano, nearby. On 14 August the SS returned to San Terenzo in order to confiscate a car and take away some cattle, another incursion occurred on the morning of the 17th, this time the soldiers arrived on a truck. The people, persuaded by the priest, didn’t carry out any opposition to the incursion, giving them what they wanted : wine, oil, a pig, a cow and a sheep. At midday the truck left the centre of the village to go to Fosdinovo, driving along at a very slow pace, only had a few soldiers on board while most of the platoon was walking behind it. After crossing Bardine, the procession went up to San Terenzo. Soon after they were attacked by the Resistance group from Carrara called “Ulivi”, which had two German machine guns, taken from the barracks in Carrara. All the SS soldiers on foot were killed. They also helped partisans belonging to two other Resistance groups called “Gerini” and “Parodi. That afternoon a hundred SS soldiers under the command of lieutenant Fischer, went to Bardine to bring back their fellow-soldiers’ bodies remains. Fires and explosives destroyed most of the village so the majority of the villagers were killed. The command of the actual reprisal was entrusted to Major Walter Reder. On the morning of August 19th retaliations began in Fivizzano then after that in San Terenzo: 159 unarmed civilians were killed.

Where is the Museum Massacre of San Terenzo and Bardine?

The museum is in the centre of the hamlet of San Terenzo Monti, in the Comune di Fivizzano.

How to reach the Natural History Museum of Lunigiana?

Once you arrive in Pallerone, follow the signs for San Terenzo/ Tendola, on the road to Fosdinovo.

Nearby you will find

Borgo di Tendola, Borgo di Bibola, i sentieri della Quinta Tappa della Via Francigena in Lunigiana, il Castello di Fosdinovo.

Qui vicino trovi:

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WHAT TO SEE

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FOOD & WINE

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ACCOMODATION

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CYCLE LANES & MTB

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HISTORICAL HIKES

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