IO C'ERO - Giornata della Memoria 2026

In Putignano, the lamp of memory does not extinguish for the Nazi-Fascist horrors of the Holocaust. With a theatrical performance by APS Onde Culturali on Friday, January 30 at 7:30 PM, the voices of some witnesses of the Nazi persecutions will echo.

"I was there" – this is the title of the presentation – indeed encapsulates passages of testimonies from survivors to continue their voices and commit to not forgetting. In the magical setting of the Church of the Carmelitane in Putignano, directed by Nico Beffa, Debora Simone and David Romanazzi will interpret the stories of the deported, leading the audience into the places and the violent atmosphere (both physical and psychological) that millions of people had to face "for the sole fault of being born."

The event on Friday the 30th, sponsored by the City of Putignano, thus continues the commitment on the "road of memory" that the Putignano APS began last November by participating in the project "The Train of Memory" to allow local youth to take part in the memory journey. Thanks to the support of Onde Culturali, in fact, a girl from Putignano will travel in the coming weeks to the extermination camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau to witness the horrors committed during the Holocaust firsthand.

During the evening, which is open and free to the public, local institutions and some witnesses of the "train of memory" will also intervene. At the beginning, there will also be a speech from the historian Giovanni Capurso from Terlizzi about the figure of Don Pietro Pappagallo, a priest murdered in the Ardeatine Fosse massacre and the only person from Apulia proclaimed Righteous Among the Nations.

"As APS Onde Culturali, we did not want to shy away from the commitment to remember what happened more than 80 years ago. We firmly believe that even and especially in these complicated times we live in, it is our duty not to turn away but to live with the awareness that in our small way, we can preserve history, remember it, and make it known so that it is not repeated.

We do this by echoing the voices of those survivors whom unfortunately many of us have never met or heard in person, and by recalling the commitment of those – like Don Pietro Pappagallo – who did not conform but contributed to opposing the terrible Nazi logic by saving lives.

All voices ready to remind us of a way of living that we strive to emulate: to be fully present, without turning away when facing history – of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

A sincere thank you to those who will help make this event successful: to Nico, Debora, and David, to the Board of the Association, to the Municipal Administration that has honored us with its sponsorship, to Don Peppe Recchia and the Mater Domini Confraternity who generously opened their doors to us. Finally, thanks to all the members and supporters of our APS who, with their emotional and financial support, allow us to continue our projects. For those interested, on Friday the 30th, it will be possible to renew or create your membership card for 2026," declares the president of APS Onde Culturali, Luca Laurenzano.