An underwater monument in memory of the victims embarked on the cruiser Trieste will be inaugurated on 10 April 2023, in the bay of Mezzo Schifo, in front of Porto Rafael, on the 80th anniversary of its sinking by the Anglo-American aviation. This will be one of the most significant initiatives of the collaboration between the Municipality of La Maddalena and that of Palau contained in a memorandum of understanding.
On that tragic day, 24 bombers attacked the cruiser at anchor which, despite the anti-aircraft defenses, was hit by over 120 bombs. The ship sank in less than two hours. 77 were killed and 76 were seriously injured. La Maddalena and Palau (port for accessing the island) share a stretch of sea which is today characterized by a notable tourist phenomenon and its infrastructures but in the past characterized by the presence of defensive fortifications.
Each with its own territory and jointly, the two communities have been the scene of historical, political and military events, with protagonists such as: Napoleon Bonaparte, Orazio Nelson, Domenico Millelire, Giuseppe Garibaldi and others, and have shared, in more recent times, during the two world wars, an important role in the history of Italy, of control and defense of the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean. Hence the will of the two mayors, Fabio Lai and Franco Manna, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the cruiser "Trieste", to share a collaborative project for the realization of activities and events aimed at celebrating the tragic anniversary .
