by Marco Piacentini

First performed in 1981, by the Nuova Compagnia del Maggio di Frassinoro, in Frassinoro (MO). Libretto printed in 1994. The PDF is from the 2011 revision.

 

The title of the Maggio alludes to the massacres perpetrated by Nazi-Fascist troops in the Reggiano-Modenese Apennines during March of 1944, in retaliation for the inhabitants’ alleged support of the partisan Resistance. On March 18, the troops killed 131 civilians and set fire to houses in several towns in the province of Modena, while on March 20, another German unit, aided by local Fascists, killed 24 individuals in Cervarolo, a hamlet of Villa Minozzo in the province of Reggio Emilia. The fact that this area—the Apennine ridge between Modena and Reggio—was also Maggio territory makes a Maggio dedicated to these massacres all the more harrowing. Staging a Maggio of such realism cannot be considered a form of entertainment, but rather a call to never forget—and therefore never again repeat—such inhumanity.

The Maggio departs from tradition by turning its focus to more recent local history—events still painfully etched in the memories of many present—rather than to the distant epic battles of centuries long gone. Furthermore, the performers do not wear the usual traditional costumes, but clothing designed to reflect the realism of the dramatic setting. The opening scenes of the Maggio portray the local population simmering with anger beneath the surface due to the abuses they have suffered; for example, an elderly man is forced by the Nazi-Fascists to drink castor oil after being denounced by an informer for expressing his thoughts. At the same time, the work remains faithful to tradition by staging a stark contrast between the good and evil—in this case, between the subjugated population, who wish only to live freely and in peace, and the overbearing Nazis and Fascists, determined to dominate the world through force. The fact that these horrors of the Second World War have become the subject of a Maggio dissolves the boundary between epic narrative and lived trauma. (Jo Ann Cavallo)

The below video clips are from a performance by the Nuova Compagnia del Maggio di Frassinoro, at Mt. S. Giulia Monchio di Palagano (MO), July 20, 1997. Filmed by Otello Ruggi. Courtesy of Marco Piacentini.