Italian Ambassador to Athens Paolo Cuculi attended the commemoration of those who died in the Oria shipwreck in February 1944.
"Eighty-one years have passed, but our duty to preserve the memory of the tragedy and the spirit of humanity and solidarity of the many Greek civilians who assisted the few survivors and contributed to the recovery and burial of the fallen is still relevant," the ambassador emphasised in his speech in front of a large representation of Italian and Greek military and civil authorities, including the mayors of six Italian municipalities from which many of the victims came.
The steamer Oria, bound for Piraeus, was carrying over 4,100 Italian soldiers, military internees who had refused to collaborate with the Nazis and join the Social Republic after the Armistice of 8 September 1943 and were destined for concentration camps in Germany. During a storm, the steamer ran aground on submerged rocks near the islet of Patroclus and quickly sank. Only a few dozen people were saved.
The ceremony took place at the monument erected in 2014 at kilometre 60 of the coastal road Athens - Sounion in front of the islet of Patroklos, where the shipwreck occurred.
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