Monumento ai Caduti (War Memorial), Savona

The War Memorial in Piazza Goffredo Mameli is one of Savona’s most solemn and symbolic monuments, honoring those who fell in all wars. Designed by sculptor Luigi Venzano and inaugurated on September 18, 1927, the memorial consists of a marble base and bronze figures, created from melted cannons of the Great War. Each day at 6:00 PM, the city observes a moving tribute as 21 tolls of the bell ring out—one for each letter of the Italian alphabet—while traffic and pedestrians pause in silent remembrance.

The monument is set upon a Balma syenite pedestal and is rich in symbolism, depicting key moments of World War I. On one side, a seated veteran and a soldier departing for the front represent the beginning of the war on May 24, 1915. On the other, a mourning elderly woman and a young mother with her child embody the war’s end on November 4, 1918, symbolizing both victory and grief.

At the center of the monument, four large bronze figures support a bell, modeled after Savona’s historic “Campanassa”.