Memory and History

A journey through symbolic places of memory in Carpi and Fossoli. It begins at the Museum and Monument to the Deported, designed by the BBPR architectural studio: thirteen essential rooms with grey walls engraved with the final words of those condemned to death from the European Resistance, and graffiti by artists such as Picasso and Guttuso. In the courtyard, 16 stone steles bear the names of Nazi extermination camps.

Just a few steps away, Carpi’s synagogues tell the story of the Jewish presence: the oldest one (1722), hidden among rooftops, preserves the intimate atmosphere of prayer; the second, from the 19th century, stands out for its neoclassical elegance and baroque-style portal. Today, neither synagogue is still used for worship.

The route ends at the Fossoli Camp, six kilometers from Carpi, where memory becomes history: from military camp to transit point toward Nazi concentration camps, and later a reception center for refugees, it reflects the complexity of 20th-century Italian history.

The “Memory Routes” can also be explored by bicycle, through four itineraries ranging from 30 to 50 kilometers in length, connecting villages and historic sites linked to the Resistance and deportation..