One of our Italian members, Fabrizio, was kind enough to translate this wonderful looking multicolored postcard for me. It commemorates their Benghazi Monument at Giuliana Beech, where Italian forces landed to occupy the Port City of Benghazi in 1911. Turkish forces were stationed nearby at Bekka and were attacked by the invading troops with bayonets, before the Italians won the battle and took the position. The card depicts the Benghazi Victory Monument at Giuliana, with the ocean and beech in the background. Across the bottom of the piece it further states, “At dawn on October 19, 1911, the ships of Italy gave Cirenaica Italian civilization.” The rear side of the postcard has a message from a sergeant to one of his former officers, “To My Captain, My best wishes and salute, promising to treasure all that I have learned form you in those days when the sun blessed our efforts and infantrymen looking at their captain sang Giovinezza – Giovinezza. Your humble subordinate Mirlonghi Giuseppe”.
I'm sure the monument is no longer statnding. Since the Giovinezza was a popular song during the Great War and then afterwards into the fascist period, does anyone know when this undated postcard was published? The card looks like it was printed in the 1920s and I'm thinking the monument was erected in 1921 for the 10th anniversary, or 1931 for the 20th. Does anyone know when the monument was erected in Libya?
James
The Italian Benghazi Victory Monument at Giuliana
The Italian Benghazi Victory Monument at Giuliana
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