The restoration of "La Procellaria," the monument built in 1949 by Carlo Fontana on the Scoglio Roma, off the island of Santo Stefano, in memory of the fallen soldiers of the battleship Roma and the destroyers Da Noli and Vivaldi, sunk in September 1943, is in its final stages. The work will be completed in time for the commemorations scheduled for September, when the project and its results will be presented to the public. The restoration is the result of a collaboration between the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro and the Western Navy Command. Superintendent Monica Stochino promoted the project after the command, led by Admiral Enrico Pacioni, reported the monument's precarious condition. "La Procellaria" commemorates the fallen soldiers of the battleship Roma and the destroyers Da Noli and Vivaldi, sunk in September 1943 after the Armistice of Cassibile. In particular, the Roma was hit by German aircraft in the waters off the Asinara island while the Italian naval squadron, departing from La Spezia after the announcement of September 8th, was heading for the ports designated by the Allies. Over 1,500 men died in the attack, including the fleet commander, Admiral Carlo Bergamini.
The intervention, ordered as a matter of extreme urgency, aims to secure the structure and halt its deterioration and structural failure. It is a particularly complex construction site: the monument is accessible only by sea and stands on an isolated rocky outcrop. The granite column, decorated with bronze sculptural elements, has also been exposed to the effects of salt spray, strong winds, and atmospheric agents for decades.
