With the creation of a new memorial, the story of Franco Cesana, Italy’s youngest Jewish partisan resistance fighter, takes its rightful place in history.
Franco was just a child when his life was tragically cut short during combat to help liberate Italy from Nazi-fascism. On September 14, 1944, near Picciniera di Gombola in the Emilia Romagna region, Franco fell to German bullets, just six days shy of his 13th birthday.
In November, a monument was unveiled on the very steps where Franco was killed, commemorating his bravery and sacrifice. This memorial stands as a testament to the resilience of a boy who, despite his tender age, fought fearlessly for freedom as a member of the Scarabelli Brigade of the Second Modena Mountain Division.
Franco’s journey to resistance was shaped by hardship. Born on September 20, 1931, in Bologna, Franco’s childhood was disrupted by Italy’s antisemitic racial laws, which expelled him from public school. Forced to attend a makeshift Jewish school in a local synagogue, Franco struggled to understand why his Jewish identity made him a target. The loss of his father in 1939 and the rise of Nazi occupation in Italy forced the Cesana family into hiding in the Apennine Mountains.
Amid the upheaval, Franco joined the partisans alongside his older brother Lelio. Despite his age, Franco’s determination to fight for justice was unwavering. To protect his mother from additional worry, he kept his Jewish identity a secret from his comrades. His cousin, Ziva Fischer, shared these details with the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), recounting his courage and recounting moments of both hardship and joy during their time together at the Il Pitigliani Jewish orphanage in Rome.
Franco’s life ended during a patrol mission, his young body struck down by gunfire in the mountains. His sacrifice was posthumously honoured with the Bronze Medal of Military Valour, recognising his bravery and dedication to the resistance.
The monument in Picciniera di Gombola ensures that Franco Cesana’s story will continue to inspire future generations, reminding them of the price of freedom and the unyielding courage of even the youngest among us.