Resistance and the Foibe Massacres: A Historical Context

The Foibe massacres refer to a series of killings that occurred between 1943 and 1947 in the border regions between Italy and Yugoslavia, particularly in Istria and Dalmatia. Named after the foibe—natural sinkholes in the karst landscape—these events were marked by acts of violence carried out by Yugoslav partisans against Italians, including Fascists, soldiers, and civilians. The massacres were rooted in a complex history of territorial disputes, ethnic tensions, and resistance movements during and after World War II.

Following Italy’s capitulation in 1943, Yugoslav partisans, led by Josip Broz Tito, sought to annex these regions. The violence targeted perceived collaborators and opponents of Yugoslav control, often indiscriminately. Many victims were executed and thrown into the foibe, symbolizing both the brutality of the conflict and the broader struggles over national identity and resistance to Fascist oppression.

The Foibe massacres remain a sensitive and contested chapter in the history of resistance, reflecting the deep scars of war, occupation, and the fight for territorial control. Today, they serve as a reminder of the complexities of resistance and the human cost of political upheaval in border regions.

delleAli Teatro:

LOST

To deal with History is to deal with ourselves. One eye is turned to the outer world, the other looks

at the depths within. That one, that one is the Dark Eye.

In an endless cycle of inside and outside, of being, not being, becoming, surviving, the performers

move through the playspace. They follow prescribed paths, and, little by little, get lost on their way

as Memory uncoils, inexorably.

Credits

AUTHORS AND PERFORMERS: Ginevra Balestrini, Alessandro Battaglia, Jonas Gabriel Beretta, Francesco Calamia, Aya Chibate, Elisa, D'Angelo, Sofia D'Angelo, Simone Frisenda, Filippo Sciolette

MENTOR: Francesca Assi

ARTISTIC OVERVIEW: Alessandra Anzaghi

PRODUCER: Francesco Rovito

PRODUCTION: delleAli Teatro