San Lorenzo

The Church of San Lorenzo is a very special place for World War II history in Italy. It was the site of a bombing that practically destroyed the building. Though it has since been rebuilt, its historical significance within Italy’s role in the war has not been forgotten. The American bombing of San Lorenzo caused great uproar in the city of Rome. After such careful consideration of preserving Rome’s most important historical and religious locations, the bombing was seen as unnecessary and disrespectful. Pope Pius XII gave an iconic speech reassuring the city and people that this act would not go unnoticed, that the church would be rebuilt, and that Rome would remain unified throughout wartime. While this is seemingly a powerful message, we must not forget Italy’s role in World War II. They were not on the side of the Allies, but chose to side with Germany. The great and powerful nation of Italy had to cling to a power that was now greater than itself. I believe that this shows great weakness on their part that they would allow the circumstances to lead them into an alliance with the Axis powers. However, it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly caused this to happen. A number of factors were at play as Italy entered into the war. If nothing else, it shows that Rome had lost some of its great strength that it had

held for centuries.