The ceremony to name the Altavilla Irpina Carabinieri Station after the Marshal of the Lodging Gold Medal for Military Valor "in memoriam", Francesco Pepicelli, was held this morning.
The event, the Carabinieri explains in a note, "which took place in the presence of the relatives of the fallen, the Commander of the Campania Carabinieri Legion, General of Division Canio Giuseppe La Gala, the Provincial Commander of the Carabinieri of avellino Colonel Domenico Albanese, the Prefect SE Rossana Riflesso, the President of the Province Rizieri Buonopane, as well as other civil, military and religious authorities of the province, enhanced by the presence of the students of the local State Comprehensive Institute "Cosimo Caruso" accompanied by their teachers and school principal, was cheered by the notes of the Fanfare of the 10th Campania Carabinieri Regiment".
The ceremony paid homage to the figure of Marshal Pepicelli, whose sacrifice is engraved in the history of the Resistance. Born in Sant'Angelo a Cupolo on May 19, 1906, he volunteered in the Legion of the Royal Carabinieri of Rome in 1926.
After attending the Non-Commissioned Officers' School in Florence, he served in various Army Stations, distinguishing himself for his dedication and professionalism. In 1935 he volunteered for the war in Ethiopia, earning two War Merit Crosses. After September 8, 1943, he joined the clandestine fight against the Nazi occupation, working with partisan groups.
Captured by the SS on March 18, 1944, he was tortured in the prisons of Via Tasso without ever betraying his companions. On March 24, 1944, he was murdered in the Fosse Ardeatine massacre. With a Presidential Decree of December 26, 1951, he was awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor "in memoriam".
This morning's service began with a moment of silence in memory of those who fell in the line of duty, followed by the execution of the ordinance silence and the raising of the flag with the National Anthem.
After the reading of the Carabiniere's Prayer, Donatella Tamborrini, granddaughter of the recipient and patroness of the event, accompanied by the Commander of the Carabinieri Legion, unveiled the commemorative plaque. This was followed by the reading of the motivation for the awarding of the Gold Medal for Military Valor: "A non-commissioned officer of the Carabinieri, belonging to the Resistance front, worked tirelessly in the tough clandestine fight against the German oppressor, brilliantly completing the difficult task entrusted to him.
Arrested by the German SS, he stoically endured, during his detention, the barbaric tortures, uselessly inflicted on him to tear from him the secrets of the organization to which he belonged. At the Fosse Ardeatine he faced the shooting serenely, satisfied with having fulfilled his duty towards the oppressed Fatherland, with the holocaust of his life. Rome, October 1943 – March 1944”.
After the blessing of the plaque by HE Mons. Felice Accrocca, Metropolitan Archbishop of Benevento, the ceremony concluded with a visit to the premises of the Barracks.
Article published on March 24, 2025 - 21pm
It was a very touching ceremony that honored the memory of Marshal Pepicelli, but I believe that there were also many other heroes who deserve to be remembered. The history of the Resistance is full of important figures.