On 22 April 2023, a permanent space dedicated to promoting active remembrance, known as “Spazio Stella Rossa”, was inaugurated in a venue at Monzuno-Vado railway station. The space was created by the local branch of ANPI “Mario Musolesi” with the support of the Marzabotto Funeral Committee and the Municipality of Monzuno.

It is a cultural centre housing the permanent exhibition “Look Them in the Eyes”, dedicated to the Stella Rossa Brigade. The exhibition features ten banners recounting the biographies of as many key figures of the local Resistance. On the ceiling, 227 stars commemorate the brigade’s fallen members. A specific section is dedicated to visitors’ impressions. The exhibition design was created by Fabio Turrini and Lab 051.

The permanent exhibition is complemented by temporary displays and installations, which outline a “memory in motion”, open to community initiatives and the influences of the present. The venue also houses the ANPI section and a specialist library.

The aim, therefore, is not so much to celebrate as to promote an active remembrance. So that we never cease to question how aware citizens and visitors are of how the events surrounding the Stella Rossa and the Monte Sole Massacre of 1944 have shaped the identity of these places and continue to influence the lives of those who live here today.

The creation of the Spazio Stella Rossa in Vado forms part of a wider programme of initiatives known as ‘Vado porta del Parco’, which aims to enhance these places through themes of remembrance, peace, and historical, cultural and moral identity.