by InTrieste
As part of commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Italy’s Liberation, the City of Trieste is hosting a theatrical reading honoring the life and legacy of Mario Maovaz, an anti-fascist figure executed in 1945. The event will take place on Monday, April 28, at the Diego de Henriquez War for Peace Museum, with performances scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Titled “Death Exalts Life. Mario Maovaz: A Sentimental Revolutionary,” the reading revisits the story of Maovaz, a Dalmatian-born Italian who became a key figure in the local resistance movement during the final years of World War II. He was executed by firing squad at the Opicina shooting range on April 28, 1945, alongside ten other political prisoners taken from Trieste’s Coroneo prison, just days before the city’s liberation.
Admission to the event is free, with limited seating available. Reservations are required by 12 p.m. on the day of the performance and can be made via email to the Risiera di San Sabba Museum, which is organizing the event in collaboration with the city.
The production draws from the personal diaries of Maovaz’s son, Sigfrido, who was present during his father’s final days, as well as from “The Librarian of Ventotene,” a 2017 biography by historian Roberto Spazzali. Spazzali also authored the script for the performance.
Directed by Sara Alzetta, who also performs alongside actor Maurizio Zacchigna, the reading seeks to explore the human and emotional dimensions of resistance, exile, and familial legacy. The piece is accompanied by live music, curated specifically for the event.
The initiative forms part of a broader program of cultural events across Italy marking the anniversary of the end of fascist rule and the return of democracy in 1945.
