March of Memory - on the footsteps of the Resistance

A march to remember

The March of Memory - on the footsteps of the Resistance is the most heartfelt civic event in the Macerata hinterland. Every year, in spring, hundreds of people gather in Caldarola, in the province of Macerata, to walk the route leading to Montalto, a hamlet of the municipality of Cessapalombo, where one of the most serious Nazi-fascist massacres in the Marche region took place on March 22, 1944.

The event has been held continuously since 2004, initiated by the last partisans of Tolentino, and over time has become a shared heritage of an entire territory: the ANPI of Tolentino and Caldarola, the Marche Region, the Institute of History of the Resistance, and the Municipalities of Belforte del Chienti, Caldarola, Camporotondo di Fiastrone, Cessapalombo, Serrapetrona, and Tolentino participate in its organization.

The Montalto massacre

In the early days of March 1944, on the Macerata hills occupied by the Nazis-fascists after the armistice of September 8, 1943, a large group of young men - mostly from Tolentino - decided not to respond to the conscription call of the Italian Social Republic and went into the mountains to form a partisan group. On March 22, 1944, the Blackshirt battalion attacked the partisan base in Montalto: thirty-two men were captured and shot. A memorial monument was erected at the site of the massacre in 1947; in Caldarola, a Museum of the Resistance has been set up within the municipal building, preserving the memory of those days.

The journey, step by step

The day begins in Tolentino with the laying of a wreath in Piazza della Libertà, in front of the plaque commemorating the martyrs of Montalto. The walkers then gather in the industrial area of Caldarola, from where a free shuttle service takes them to the town center. From here, the actual march begins: a circular route of about 8.5 kilometers that passes through the village of Vestignano and the Montalto Valley, up to the monument to the fallen. Along the way, speeches by mayors and ANPI representatives are scheduled.

A journey through nature and identity

In addition to its historical and civic significance, the march is also an opportunity to rediscover the landscapes of the Macerata Apennines, amidst medieval villages, valleys, and cultivated hills. Upon arrival at Villa di Montalto, participants share the traditional partisan meal, a convivial moment that symbolically concludes the journey, followed in the afternoon by concerts by groups that bring the songs of the Resistance back to life. A free event, open to all ages, that tells the story of the most authentic Marche: that of shared memory and commitment.