ZAGREB, March 14, 2018 - Rome mayor Virginia Raggi met in Pula on Tuesday with the leaders of the Italian Union, Istria County and the Town of Pula, saying her visit to the county was a revelation because she realised that Italians "don't know enough about the history of this region."
Raggi underlined the need to establish cooperation, saying the visit was important as it was organised as part of the Remembrance Journey, on which she was accompanied by 50 Roman students taking part in a project called "Remembrances - Events on the Italian eastern border between foibe and the exodus."
Raggi said the Remembrance Journey enabled them to learn about an important part of Italian history, during and after WWII. "Italians used to be here, then in one moment this was no longer our home and now we are rediscovering our common roots."
"That enables us not only to understand our history but to see who we were and where we need to go, because we live in a complex reality with very strong migrations and diversity. That's why it's important to understand where certain mistakes can take us so that we don't repeat them. This has been a lovely journey which will serve to mend the broken ties," said Raggi.
She said they had embarked on the journey to get to know the places where the Italian community used to live and those which Italians left in an exodus, "places about which children in Italy have started to learn in books this year, deepening their knowledge with their professors, knowledge of a part of history which was unknown to many Italians too."
"Passing from the past through the present to the future is fundamental for forming a community of people who are aware of their past and who will know how to behave in the future, notably in these very complicated times," the Rome mayor said.
