FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS - P13
With the end of World War II, the Bell rang again, but it was only a preview, the official inauguration was still some time away. It was 20 May 1945, in the evening. Don Rossaro had invited the city authorities and representatives of the allied command. In order to hear the hundred chimes in remembrance of the fallen of all wars, including civilians, help was sought from 15 men of the National Union for Aircraft Protection. The young men, accustomed to very different endeavours at that time in history, did not need to be asked twice. They took turns grabbing the clapper and vibrating it by hand on the casing of Maria Dolens with the strength of their arms. Three out of five strings broke during the hundred chimes, but this failed to stop either the applause or the emotion that flowed forth.
Two weeks later, Don Rossaro wrote to Prince Chigi, resuming a correspondence that had been interrupted in July 1943. His tone was rhetorical, his sentiments genuine: "The dawn of Peace has finally lit up this valley of ours (...). Now the sacred Bell stands in all its splendour, admired and venerated, first by German troops, now by Anglo-Saxon troops, who all climbed the rampart to pay her the homage of their devotion. Indescribable difficulties led it to its current state, that is, almost complete restoration, and on May 20th, in the presence of the English Governor and a vast crowd, it rang for the first time, paying its first tribute to the new Fallen of the recent horrendous massacre. Its solemn inauguration, however, will take place in early October, the 20th anniversary of its existence.
But with the end of the war, the new authorities also had to be reckoned with. The National Liberation Committee (CLN) had been formed, and it was not liked by the majority of the population, not least because it had initiated the so-called 'purge processes' provided for by the regulations approved by the first post-insurrection government. Like other Trentino personalities who had held public office during Fascism, Don Rossaro was also summoned by the People's Court. He had to explain his actions as chaplain of the Fascist Militia. The charge was that of taking advantage of the regime for his own personal gain. A direct witness, Valentino Chiocchetti, summed up the episode in a few lines: "He appeared at the trial with no defence counsel, despite many of his friends having offered to defend him. He knew he had done nothing to be ashamed of. The judge asked him: "Fascism benefited you a lot, isn’t that so?" He replied: "Yes, it benefited me, giving me the means to help a lot of poor people".
He was acquitted and returned to devote himself to the Bell. The priority was to choose a date for the inauguration. The Master of Ceremonies of the Order of Malta insisted on not focusing on a divisive anniversary like 28 June, the day of the Sarajevo bombing in 1914. The date chosen was 20 April. It was 1946, and after nine years of silence, the Bell officially chimed again, accompanied by the festive ringing of hundreds of children's bells. On the same day, the League of Nations officially disbanded after 26 years of operation, having been effectively replaced on 24 October 1945 by the newly formed United Nations. A coincidence, if coincidences exist. On 26 September, the Bell was officially dedicated to St Francis. A new era began, the era of brotherhood.
