Acquafondata ITALY WORLD WAR II

Acquafondata ITALY WORLD WAR II

Acquafondata is an Italian town of 296 inhabitants of the province of Frosinone in the Lazio.

Acquafondata 1944 In 1944, Acquafondata was occupied by the Germans manning the Gustav Line on the side of Cassino and Reinhard Line on the Molise side.

The bombing and the shelling by the Allies, were frequent, especially at night: the acquafondatari found themselves to living with death and destruction. To put an end to the devastation, four young men decided to convey to the American-French command useful information for targeted attacks. The only way to pass the front and reach the Allies was a tunnel that connected the lower part of town, where today there is the nursery of the Forest, in Casalcassinese, the four reached at night, facing the bombing and mines, reaching Venafro at dawn. The Allies considered them initially spies, but later believed to information on the consistency of the German troops and the location of the cornerstones, who returned to the useful French Command to launch the attack on 12 January 1944 that Acquafondata free from German occupation. This act of heroism, as a result, earned the two survivors, Roman Blacks and Domenico Mancone, recognition of the Presidency of the Republic which gave them the title of knight. After the war Acquafondata has experienced the phenomenon of emigration, so that its houses, year after year, are empty. In the summer period is repopulated thanks to the return he emigrated and to all who choose to spend a weekend or a whole summer.