Under pressure
from Germany, the government of fascist Italy arrested Jews
and confined them to dismal camps, though never with
sufficient enthusiasm to satisfy the Nazis. Camp Urbisaglia
in the fortified villa of the Giustiniani-Bandini princes
was one of the first to open in June 1940, and one of the
smallest with about one hundred captives. It was located
midway between Rome and Venice near the Adriatic coast.
Ferramonti di
Tarsia in southern Italy, where about 3,900 Jews were
imprisoned, was the largest concentration camp in Italy,
constructed on June 4, 1940, six days before Italy entered the
war. Arrests of Jews began June 15, and the first ones
arrived at Ferramonti on June 20. On September 4, 1943, just
prior to Italy's surrender, the government released
prisoners from all camps in territory under its control.
Below: The
April 28, 1942, 30-centesimi postal card with added
25-centesimi and 5-centesimi stamps went from a Jewish man
interned at the Carate-Urio camp near Lake Como (censored at
the camp) to another Jewish prisoner at Camp Ferramonti.
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