Guerra & Pace
World War II remembrance and the culture of peace in Piedimonte San Germano
About Guerra & Pace
A Ciociaria town that safeguards European memory
Guerra & Pace is the event through which the Municipality of Piedimonte San Germano, in the province of Frosinone, in the heart of southern Lazio, recounts its most painful and defining history every spring. Perched at the foot of the massif that dominates the Liri Valley, the village was situated along the Hitler Line in 1944, the second German defensive belt complementing the Gustav Line centered on Monte Cassino. Bombings and combat reduced the town to rubble, which is why Piedimonte San Germano has been described as "the little Monte Cassino."
May 25, 1944, and the bond with Poland
On May 25, 1944, the town was liberated by units of the Polish II Corps under General Anders, specifically by the 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment. This date marked the beginning of a relationship that has lasted over eighty years and has been solidified through a twinning agreement with the Polish town of Ceków-Kolonia. Every year, the celebrations welcome official delegations from Poland—institutional representatives, scholars from the University of Szczecin, and members of the 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment Soldiers' Circle—who participate in the ceremonies alongside Italian authorities.
What happens during Guerra & Pace
This is not a food festival or an entertainment event, but rather a multi-day civil and cultural journey. The calendar alternates between moments of study and reflection:
- Historical conferences in the "Bruna Bellavista" Council Chamber, dedicated to the Italian Campaign and Polish units;
- Documentary and photographic exhibitions hosted in the spaces of the Castello dei Conti d'Aquino, in Piedimonte San Germano Alta;
- Holy Masses in suffrage of the fallen at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta;
- Solemn ceremonies at the monuments, with the laying of wreaths in memory of civilian and military casualties;
- School projects, including the International Junior Tournament, an international educational initiative on the memory of the Battle of Monte Cassino.
The Liberation Memorial Day
The highlight is the Liberation Memorial Day on May 25th, a day when institutions, associations, schools, and citizens gather in the town center. Students read war testimonies and messages of peace accompanied by the town band: a simple and participatory ritual that entrusts the younger generation with the task of preserving their grandparents' stories. As Mayor Ferdinandi noted, this is a memory that "does not belong only to Piedimonte San Germano, but to all of Europe."
Why it is worth attending
For those traveling through the Ciociaria region and visiting the Abbey of Monte Cassino, the Polish War Cemetery, and the sites of the Gustav Line, Guerra & Pace offers a less-told perspective: that of the civilians, "victims without uniforms," and the reconstruction of a community that started from scratch. It is a sober, free, and open event, particularly suitable for families and school groups, combining memory tourism, European history, and local village life.
Guerra & Pace — edition 2026
Guerra & Pace 2026: ten days of shared memory
From May 15 to 25, 2026, the Municipality of Piedimonte San Germano, in the province of Frosinone, hosted a new edition of Guerra & Pace, the program of cultural, commemorative, and institutional initiatives dedicated to the memory of World War II, the sacrifice of civilian populations, and the universal value of peace.
The 2026 edition took on particular significance thanks to the presence of international delegations from Poland: representatives from the twinned town of Ceków-Kolonia, scholars from the University of Szczecin, and members of the 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment Soldiers' Circle, the unit that liberated the town in May 1944. A historical bond that unites Piedimonte San Germano to the memory of the Polish II Corps engaged in the Battle of Monte Cassino.
Ample space was reserved for the new generations with the fifth edition of the International Junior Tournament, an international educational project dedicated to the memory of the Battle of Monte Cassino and the journey of the Polish Army Corps along the peninsula. The celebrations concluded on May 25th with the 82nd Liberation Memorial Day, a day of collective memory involving institutions, schools, associations, and citizens.
Programme Guerra & Pace 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026
- Welcoming of Polish delegations and official opening of the event
Saturday, May 16, 2026
- 5:30 PM — Conference dedicated to the 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment, "Bruna Bellavista" Council Chamber
Sunday, May 17, 2026
- Holy Mass in memory of the military fallen at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, in Piedimonte San Germano Alta
- Inauguration of the exhibition "The 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment in Italy, in battle and daily life (1943-1946)" at the Castello dei Conti d'Aquino
- Solemn commemorative ceremonies dedicated to civilian and military casualties
- Unveiling of the effigy of the 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment in Largo Antoni Benc
Monday, May 25, 2026
- 82nd Liberation Memorial Day of Piedimonte San Germano: a day of collective memory with institutions, schools, associations, and citizens; readings of war testimonies and messages of peace by students, accompanied by the town band
During the event
- Fifth edition of the International Junior Tournament, an international educational project on the memory of the Battle of Monte Cassino and the Polish Army Corps
Highlights Guerra & Pace 2026
- 82nd Liberation Memorial Day of Piedimonte San Germano, Monday, May 25
- Exhibition "The 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment in Italy, in battle and daily life (1943-1946)" at the Castello dei Conti d'Aquino
- Unveiling of the effigy of the 12th Podolian Uhlan Regiment in Largo Antoni Benc
- Delegations from Poland: Ceków-Kolonia, University of Szczecin, 12th Uhlan Regiment Soldiers' Circle
- Historical conference in the "Bruna Bellavista" Council Chamber
- Fifth edition of the International Junior Tournament with schools
Prices Guerra & Pace 2026
Practical information — Guerra & Pace
Getting there
Piedimonte San Germano is located in the province of Frosinone, a few kilometers from Cassino. By car: A1 Milan-Naples motorway, exit at Cassino, then take the SS6 Casilina towards Rome (about 10 minutes). By train: Cassino station on the Rome-Naples line via Cassino, then take a local bus or taxi. Most ceremonies take place in Piedimonte San Germano Alta, the historic village: it is recommended to leave your car in the parking lots in the valley and walk up.
Admission and information
Conferences, exhibitions, and ceremonies are free to attend. The detailed program is published annually by the Municipality of Piedimonte San Germano on official channels in the weeks leading up to the event.
In the surroundings
Don't miss the Abbey of Monte Cassino, the Polish War Cemetery, the Historiale Museum of Cassino, and the archaeological area of Casinum: a natural itinerary to complete your visit to the sites of memory in lower Lazio.
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Where does it take place — Guerra & Pace
Piedimonte San Germano Alta — Castello dei Conti d'Aquino