Thanks to the book "Beyond the Lake" written by Mr Mario Di Sorte, historical researcher, the Embassy of South Africa came to know about a tragic event that happened in the small town of Farnese, during the Second World War.
The soldier Frederick John Crinall and Private Robert Carter, two young South Africans, were caught and held as prisoners of war in the vicinity of Farnese until the Italian armistice was signed in 1943. Soon after they escaped from their prison camps and joined an Italian partisan group. Both were killed by German forces in Farnese on June 6, 1944, together with the Italian partisan Antonio Ridolfi. They are now buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Bolsena.
The Embassy of South Africa, the City of Farnese and the UNESCO Club of Farnese have joined forces and together they created a different ceremony and memorial in honour of the young soldiers fallen while opposing the tyranny and the oppression.
The ceremony that took place in Farnese on 10 July 2016 was held at the beautiful and picturesque Villa Lucattini, close to the place of the execution, with the kind concession of the owner Prof. Guglielmina Clarici. During the commemorative moment a bunch of Proteas, the typical flower from South Africa, was deposed by the Minister Plenipotentiary Sheldon Moulton of the Embassy of South Africa in Rome, followed by a moment of silence, at the site of the plaque that was inaugurated last year in the presence of Ambassador Nomatemba Tambo and Colonel P.S. Lembede.
The event included poetry, readings and music with the participation of an excellent soprano. A fashion show with a mix of ethnic and elegant garments by local designers and a South African designer also took place. The day ended with an Italian and South African food and wine combination. Highly appreciated were the delicacies prepared by the Italian chef, Loredana and the South African chef, Sacha.
The remarkable attendance and participation in the event by local authorities and the Farnese community proved that a different and positive way has been successfully found to honour the courage of those young fallen soldiers, through the strengthening of cultural and historical ties that unite people and nations, Italy and South Africa.