The Gonars Concentration Camp, active from 1942 to 1943, was the largest fascist camp in Italy, holding over 6,000 internees at once. Today, the Park of Remembrance stands on the site, a place for reflection featuring mosaics created by the prisoners themselves. In the nearby cemetery, an imposing shrine holds the remains of 453 victims.
• Located in Gonars, in the province of Udine, along the Napoleonica road.
• The camp housed Slovene and Croat civilians, with terrible living conditions and over 500 deaths.
• The barracks have been dismantled, but the park and monument preserve the memory.
• Commemorative ceremonies are held annually with authorities from Slovenia and Croatia.
In Gonars, the Park of Remembrance commemorates the largest Italian fascist concentration camp, with over 10,000 Slovene and Croat internees. In the cemetery, the shrine holds the remains of 453 victims.
- Gonars concentration camp Memorial path, Udine (UD)
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Evocative Introduction
You arrive in Gonars and wonder where it was. No barracks, no barbed wire. Just a quiet park and, in the cemetery, a monument that seems from another era. Yet here was the largest Italian fascist concentration camp. Over 10,000 Slovenian and Croatian internees, at least 500 deaths. Today’s silence weighs more than a thousand words. But the Park of Memory, with its mosaics, and the shrine in the cemetery keep history alive. A visit that leaves a mark.
Historical Overview
Built in autumn 1941, the Gonars camp was intended for Russian prisoners of war but never used for them. From March 1942, it became an internment camp for Slovenian and Croatian civilians, rounded up in territories occupied by Fascist Italy. Conditions were inhumane: overcrowding, starvation (200g of bread per day), and diseases caused over 500 deaths. After the armistice on September 8, 1943, the guards fled and the internees were freed. Today, the remains have disappeared, but the shrine and the park commemorate that tragedy.
- 1941: construction of the camp
- Spring 1942: beginning of deportations
- Summer 1942: over 6,000 internees
- Autumn 1942: arrival of women and children from Arbe
- September 1943: liberation
- 1973: construction of the Shrine
- 2009: inauguration of the Park of Memory
The Memorial Park: Art and Remembrance
Inaugurated in 2009, the Memorial Park stands exactly where the tents and barracks once stood. Here you will walk among mosaics replicating the original drawings created by the internees between 1942 and 1943. A doctor, Mario Cordaro, saved these works, which today are a symbol of resistance and dignity. Observing the marked faces and barbed wire etched into the stone, you understand that art can survive even horror. A secluded, silent place that invites reflection.
The Memorial: a wound of steel and concrete
In the cemetery of Gonars, a semicircular steel structure welcomes you. It is the Memorial created in 1973 by Serbian sculptor Miodrag Živković. Beneath it, two crypts hold the remains of 453 Slovenian and Croatian citizens who died in the camp. The work is powerful, almost menacing, and leaves no one indifferent. The sharp forms and cold material convey the weight of memory. Every year on November 2, an official ceremony brings together authorities and family members.
Why Visit It
Visiting Gonars is an act of awareness. First, to learn about a dark page of Italian history often forgotten: the largest fascist camp in our country. Second, to admire the art of the Sacrario and the mosaics of the Parco della Memoria, an expression of cultural resistance. Third, to participate in the commemorations (every November 2) and feel the living memory, with delegations from Slovenia and Croatia. An experience that enriches and makes you reflect.
When to Go
Autumn is the most evocative season: leaves fall, the air is crisp, and on November 2nd there is the commemoration of the dead. If you prefer tranquility, choose a spring morning. The Park of Memory is always open, while the Memorial inside the cemetery has visiting hours (usually in the morning). Avoid the summer lunchtime when the sun is blazing. Come calmly and bring a book to sit on the park benches.
Nearby
A few kilometers from Gonars, Udine offers a beautiful historic center with its Castle, elegant squares, and excellent Friulian cuisine. Alternatively, Palmanova is a star-shaped fortress city, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2017: a unique example of military architecture. If you have time, also visit the nearby Prealpi Giulie Natural Park for a refreshing dive into nature. Two different experiences that round out your day.
Itineraries nearby
💡 Did You Know…?
During their detention, many artist internees created poignant drawings that are now preserved in the Cordaro Collection. In 1942, some prisoners dug an escape tunnel several meters long, managing to break out. The Park of Remembrance reproduces some of these works in mosaic, offering a moving connection to the past.