After 100 years and a process full of obstacles, honorary citizenship reaches the four fusilâz

The Municipality of Cercivento has awarded the recognition to the soldiers executed in 1916: “The honor returned to the victims”

Honor to the memory of the four soldiers shot in Cercivento during the First World War. After more than 100 years, a hard-fought bureaucratic process and a large participation of administrators and the population, in the last council of the Municipality of Cercivento honorary citizenship was conferred on the four Friulians executed by friendly fire on 1 July 1916, behind the municipal cemetery.

Silvio Ortis from Paluzza, Giovan Battista Coradazzi from Forni di Sopra, Basilio Matiz from Timau and Angelo Massaro from Maniago died “fusilâz” at 4:58 minutes of that summer day. They belonged to the 109th company of the 8th Regiment, Arvenis battalion and by connoisseurs of the place, they refused the assault of that day as a useless sacrifice.

They were sentenced to be shot by the military war court. “It would have been incomprehensible not to find, after more than a century, a solution that would restore the honor to the victims – commented Elena Lizzi, parliamentarian of the European group Identity and Democracy -. It is a battle of civilizations ».

The majority group of the Carnic Municipality where the tragedy took place wanted this recognition.

«It was a strongly desired act – intervenes the regional councilor Luca Boschetti former mayor of Cercivento – and proposed by the majority group formed by me and by the municipal councilors Doris Matiz and Maurizio De Conti.

The fact has always been considered profoundly unfair in the collective memory of Cercivento.

The trial was held in the Pieve di San Martino in violation of the sacredness of that place. Now with this important act we are following up the regional law of May 28, 2021, which provides for the historical rehabilitation of soldiers born or fallen in Friuli Venezia Giulia belonging to the Italian Armed Forces and sentenced to be shot by military courts during the First World War. It follows exactly the case of the four Alpini shot in Cercivento ».

Alongside the promoter administrators and the mayor of Cercivento Valter Fracas, Mario Flora, great-grandson of the Alpine Silvio Gaetano Ortis, was also present in the room.

“I am grateful for the conferral of citizenship – said Flora moved – while recalling how this Municipality has always carried on the battle of recognition towards the victims of injustice even when history was contrary”.

On 27 April 1990, the great-grandson of Alpino Ortis presented to the Military Surveillance Court the request to obtain military rehabilitation in favor of Ortis Gaetano Silvio, born in Paluzza on 21 December 1891.

On 5 November of the same year, he had received from the Court the response of “inadmissibility of the application due to the lack of signature of the interested party” (shot in 1916).

“Finally – concludes Boschetti – we had the courage to come to terms with the past and recognize the mistakes we made”.