Italian Comrades memorial, St. Peter’s Square – Manchester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 28.660 W 002° 14.624
30U E 550191 N 5925675
A simple marble plaque in St. Peter’s Square Manchester placed here in 1990.
Waymark Code: WMB3KX
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/31/2011
Views: 6
This small marble memorial stands next to St. Peter’s Cross in St Peter’s square near to the World War I & II Cenotaph.
The cross marks where the altar was in St. Peter’s Church which had stood on the site since 1794 until it was demolished in 1907.
The site is right next to St. Peter’s station on the Metrolink light rail system. At this point the trams are running on rails embedded in the road.
The inscription reads
TO OUR
ITALIAN COMRADES
1915 - 1918
The memorial was originally a bronze plaque on a marble plinth erected in 1924. It was mainly paid for the Italian community in Manchester, a number of whom had fought in the First World War as members of the U.K.s armed forces. This was because Italy was our ally in this war.
However in World War II Italy joined forces with Germany and so was an enemy of the U.K. Manchester City Council removed the plaque and replaced it with one in honour of the Manchester British Legion.
For many years after the war the local Italian community requested that the original memorial be returned. The council had lost track of its existence. However Mr. D Felice provided documentary evidence that a memorial had existed, and so the council finally erected the simple marble plinth behind the site of the original one in 1990.
On Remembrance Sunday every year, members of local Italian associations lay wreaths at the memorial.
Date the Monument or Memorial was built or dedicated: 01/01/1990
Private or Public Monument?: Government
Name of the Private Organization or Government Entity that built this Monument: Manchester City Council
Geographic Region where the Monument is located: Europe
Website for this Monument: [Web Link]
Physical Address of Monument:
St. Peter's Square
Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom
M3 4LG
Rate this waymark: 
Photo or photos will be uploaded.: yes
|
Visit Instructions:
New logs to this waymark must contain at least one photo of the monument with your GPS in the shot as proof of your visit. No old vacation photos please. You must have taken a picture while seeking this waymark. Logs that don't meet the photo requirement will be archived.