Trieste, Honorary Citizenship awarded to the Sassari Brigade during a ceremony hosted in the City Council room

Trieste, Honorary Citizenship awarded to the Sassari Brigade during a ceremony hosted in the City Council room

“As a sign of gratitude and appreciation from the institutions and the entire city community towards the Sassari Brigade, which includes a difficult to match number of awards for military valor, awarded among others to some brave Trieste officers of the 151st and 152nd Regiment of the Brigade, fallen during the two world wars".

It is with this motivation that today (Tuesday 30 January) Honorary Citizenship was conferred to the Sassari Brigade by the Mayor, Robert Dipiazza, during a ceremony that took place in the City Council Hall, in the presence of the City Council specially convened, of the Prefect of Trieste, Pietro Signoriello, of the Commander of the Sassari Brigade, General Stefano Messina, accompanied for the occasion by the commanders of the two historical regiments of the Brigade, Colonel Alessio Argese (151st regiment) and Colonel Gianluca Simonelli (152nd regiment), of the director of the Historical Museum of the Sassari Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Pasquale Orecchioni and of the numerous civil and military authorities of the city .

Previously, the Blue Lounge of the Municipal Palace hosted the meeting of the Commander of the Sassari Brigade. General Stefano Messina. with the Mayor Roberto Dipiazza which was followed by the signing of the Golden Book.

“My heartfelt thanks to the Mayor and all the citizens of Trieste for granting honorary citizenship to the Sassari Brigade which I have the privilege of commanding. The historical and indissoluble ties with Sardinia and the city of Trieste they will remain forever indissoluble and in the hearts of all the men and women of the Brigade. With heartfelt gratitude" wrote the Commander of the Sassari Brigade. General Stefano Messina,

Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, the president of the City Council Francesco Di Paola Panteca, the commander of the Sassari Brigade and the commanders of the two historic regiments of the Brigade then moved to a crowded City Council Hall where the official ceremony took place.

"For me it is an honor to say a few words on the occasion of the awarding of honorary citizenship to the Sassari Brigade which this municipal council strongly wanted to attribute" declared the President of the City Council, Francesco Di Paola Panteca.

“The Brigade is a symbol of commitment, dedication and courage in the service of our Nation – said the President of the City Council – . We welcome the Brigade with gratitude and are proud to be able to declare you honorary citizens of Trieste. Thank you for your exemplary service."

After the greeting from the President Francesco Di Paola Panteca, the mayor Roberto Dipiazza gave a speech speech and reading of the motivation.

“The motto of the Sassari Brigade in Sardinian is: 'Sa vida pro sa patria – Life for the Fatherland”: sacrifice, sweat, self-denial, blood shed for the country. Honorary citizenship is the recognition of the profound and indissoluble bond that has united the Sassari Brigade to our city for over a hundred years – said Mayor Roberto Dipiazza in his speech -“.

“Backed by a fighting spirit and above-average cohesion, the unit quickly makes itself known on the battlefield. The Austro-Hungarians will call them 'devils' these soldiers are small, aggressive and particularly capable of close combat – continued the mayor -. Flattered by the nickname chosen by the enemy, the Sardinians will from then on call themselves "dimonios".

“The iron brigade, as Sassari was called at the end of the Great War, was not disbanded, as it should have been, having been born as a large mobilization unit, but was made permanent and stationed in 1920 in Trieste in the Vittorio Emanuele III barracks".

The mayor continued by remembering the various Trieste officers decorated with the medal for military valour: Guido Brunner, Sergio Laghi and Aldo Brandolin,

“The Sassari Brigade – concluded the mayor – he gave the largest tribute of heroism to the glory of the army and the cause of the homeland, wherever there were sacrifices to be made and blood to be shed”.

The Mayor finally handed over the parchment and medal of Civic Merit to the Commander of the Sassari Brigade. General Stefano Messina, who in his speech thanked the Mayor and the Municipality of Trieste for the recognition.

” The awarding of honorary citizenship is an act of homage and worship of history to the preservation of the memory of sacrifice of our soldiers, which above all, on the occasion of the Great War served to give us an Italy that was finally united and indivisible, free from foreign presence".

“Freedom, democracy and above all peace between peoples – continued the commander of the Sassari Brigade, Stefano Messina – are achievements for which we have paid dearly. The reference to the iron brigade and the deeds of its valiant soldiers on the various fronts of the great war it highlights the values ​​that all of us are called to safeguard and defend".

On the occasion of the granting of honorary citizenship by the municipality of Trieste, the "Sassari" Brigade organized at the hall of honor of the Unified Club of Trieste, in via dell'Università n.6, at Villa Italia, from 30 January to 2 February, a historical exhibition on the Brigade in the Great War".

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