​​​Following the massacre of 1944, Montesole–Marzabotto area immediately established itself as a place for reflection and peacebuilding. This was shown in the 1950s cooperation with the World Federation of Twin Cities, as well as in the 1970s through the promotion of the Union of Martyr Cities. In the 1980s, the Catholic movement became intertwined with the left-wing movement – initially in a conflictual manner, later in a more complementary one – through the initiatives of the Diocese of Bologna and subsequently the arrival of Don Dossetti’s community, who was a key anti-fascist figure in Italy at the time. In the 1990s, with the creation of Monte Sole Historical Park, initiatives took on a new dimension, and work began on construction of an additional, ambitious project.

​On 13 December 2002, the Monte Sole School of Peace Foundation was established, based in Marzabotto, thanks to the support and commitment of organisations and institutions, including the Emilia-Romagna Region and the German state of Hesse. The Foundation has its registered office, management, and operational headquarters in the Monte Sole Historical Park, where the 1944 massacre took place. It is a place of remembrance, but one that is also interpreted in terms of rebirth and active citizenship. Its aim is to promote training and educational initiatives focused on peace, the non-violent resolution of conflicts, and respect for human rights, with a view to fostering peaceful coexistence between different peoples and cultures.

​The study of 20th-century history, engagement with survivors of the war and their families, and analysis of politics and poetics of remembrance are the foundational and driving components of the educational programme. At Monte Sole, workshops, seminars and residential camps are held in collaboration with partners such as Amnesty International Italy, Archivio Zeta, Euroclio, Libera, Osservatorio sui Balcani and Rete Lilliput. Projects involving meetings and exchanges have taken place with Germany, as well as with Austria, Belgium, France, Israel, Slovenia and Spain.

​Since 2006, the Foundation has been a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience and since 2016 a founding member of the Paesaggi della Memoria network. Since 2019, it has been a partner in the University of Cologne’s project “The massacres in occupied Italy 1943–1945 in the memory of their perpetrators”, funded by the Italian-German Fund for the Future of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. It also participates in and promotes European projects.​