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Stories of Friendship closed on Friday 29th August. Over 100 photographs from the archives of the Imperial War Museum offered visitors a new insight into some of the most significant encounter between British soldiers and representatives of the Italian population during the Second World War.
To attend the closing ceremony were the Mayor of Camden, Lazzaro Pietragnoli, the Chairman of the British-Italian Society Charles de Chassiron, RAI correspondent Stefano Tura, Bishop Michael Marshall and Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Philip Stebbings whose father was a POW in Modena, Italy. In attendance was also Elisa Provini-Walker, Dame of the Order of St John. It was within the seat of such Order that this historical exhibition was housed.
Considering the history of the Order of St John, its modern reincarnation as the St John Ambulance Service and their ethos ‘Pro utilitate hominum’, in service of humanity, it was the perfect place to hold an exhibition that highlighted this very sentiment to the public; the powerful emotions felt when viewing the images of soldiers and locals each making the best of what was an increasingly challenging and difficult time during the years 1943-1945.
Over 6,000 people visited the exhibition, which first opened to the public on 24 July. The private were was attended by personalities from the international cultural scene, the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Pasquale Terracciano, the Consul General of Italy, Massimiliano Mazzanti, the director of the Imperial War Museum, Mark Whitmore and Maria Carmela Attolico, Wiscontess Hamblden whose father, Italian Ambassador in Berlin (1935-1940), tried to persuade Mussolini not to go to war with Britain.
Under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, Amnesty International and the British Council, Stories of Friendship highlighted the values of peace and brotherhood in the context of the Second World War. In today’s world still torn apart by wars, this exhibition showed that it is possible to find humanity and solidarity even in the most tragic situations. The highly evocative photographs also showed that even in war there can be room for positive values, such as brotherhood and solidarity which animate the human soul, regardless of nationality or personal status.
Curated by Tatiana Chierici, Stories of Friendship commemorated 70 years of the Armistice. the closing ceremony at the Museum of the Order of St John was marked by a reading of actress Nadia Ostacchini who conveyed a tribute received from witnesses of the Second World War.
"This exhibition is not actually closing, stated Angelo Iudice, chairman of YOUMANTY, the brain-child of Stories of Friendship. We are moving this unique collection to a larger central location in order to accommodate other important unpublished material found within the archives of the Imperial War Museum and for which YOUMANTY has obtained a license for the use of copyrights. So far we have looked at 34 thousand historical documents.”
Stories of Friendship has been funded by the Apulian World General Council, the Local Action Group Meridaunia, and by Marina Fazzari, il Circolo.
Sponsor of the closing ceremony was the Orecchietta Restaurant, whose Chef Antonio Calo’ delighted guests with typical Apulian refreshments.
