Bologna Tragedy Remembered

26 years ago today, on August 2nd 1980, a bomb exploded in Bologna's central train station, killing 85 and wounding 200. This grim day in Italian history is known as la Strage di Bologna, the Bologna Massacre. Planned and executed by far-right, Neofascist extremists, the Bologna Massacre would be the last time that far-right and far-left extremist groups fought their battles indiscriminately, in the future targeting solely elected officials and civil servants.

Bologna was (and is) known as a Communist, far-left stronghold, and was very much a symbolic target. This morning, to commemorate the massacre, Prodi said, "The massacre at la stazione di Bologna is one of the many black pages of our country's history. It is an infected wound in our democracy, a laceration that still today isn't healed. The duty of government institutions is to work every day for the triumph of truth and justice." 26 years later, no one has been tried for la Strage di Bologna.

Italy's political violence started in 1969 with la Strage di Piazza Fontana -- the Piazza Fontana Massacre (16 killed, 58 wounded) and the subsequent emergence of il terrorismo rosso (Communist) and il terrorismo nero (Neofascist). The violence lasted until the early 1980s, and the period is known as the "Anni di piombo" -- the Years of Lead. Although political violence in Italy has generally abated, it does continue, with the occassional targeting and killing of elected officials, policy makers and judges.