Also this year, Gothic Tuscany APS organize The Column of Freedom ®, a historic event that has reached a new edition to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Italy. The event, which will take place April 24-27, 2025, will bring to the streets some 120 original military vehicles from World War II, belonging to both Allied and Axis forces. An impressive caravan will traverse the same streets that, eighty years ago, saw the troops of the Italian Campaign parade in an evocative tribute to memory and regained freedom.
If you love history, memory, and the roar of vintage engines, the Freedom Column® 2025 is about to hit the road again, and the public along the route is a living part of it!
Organized by the Museo Gotica Toscana in Scarperia and the Po River Second World War Museum in Felonica, in collaboration with History Military Vehicles Italia, the Column will cross a new route in 2025: from Ferrara to Venice, passing through Rovigo and Noventa Padovana, culminating in a participatory historical reenactment open to the public, with thousands of spectators, figurants, enthusiasts and reenactors in uniform.
A memory that echoes: bagpipes in the square
The event also draws inspiration from actual incidents. On April 25, 1945, in Ferrara, the bagpipers of the 1st and 8th Battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), framed in the 8th Indian Infantry Division, performed in Piazza Duomo amid the enthusiasm of the citizens. On that very day, while crossing the Po River, Pipe-Major R. H. Brown was struck by the vastness and majesty of the great river, composing a march with the evocative title, “The 8th Argylls Crossing the River Po.” This piece is now part of the official repertoire of the regiment, whose headquarters are based in historic Stirling Castle, Scotland.
The 2025 Calendar: step by step
The Freedom Column is part of the calendar of April 25 Liberation anniversary celebrations.
The official program includes the following itinerary on the opening day of Thursday, April 24:
April 24 – 38 km
- 11:00 a.m. - Entrance to Ferrara from Porta Reno, with stops at Piazza Trento e Trieste and Corso Martiri
- 12:30 p.m. - Free lunch in Ferrara
- 4:30 p.m. - Departure from Ferrara in the direction of Rovigo, along State Road 16 Adriatica
- 5:30 p.m. - Arrival in Rovigo with a stop in Corso del Popolo and Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.
- 8:00 p.m. - Free dinner in Rovigo
- 10:30 p.m. - Return to hotel for participants
In the following days, the Column will continue to the Veneto region, concluding its itinerary near Venice, in one of Europe's most participatory reenactments.
April 25–26–27
Friday, April 25, 2025 - 50 km
- 9:00 a.m. - Departure from Rovigo toward Monselice (PD) along the SS16 Adriatica
- 9:30 a.m. - Arrival in Monselice with stops at Via Zanellato, Via Dante and Piazza Mazzini
- 10:30 a.m. - Departure for Battaglia Terme (PD)
- 11:00 a.m. - Arrival in Battaglia Terme and stop at Matteotti Avenue.
- 12:30 p.m. - Lunch organized in Battaglia Terme
- 5:30 p.m. - Departure for Padua
- 6 p.m. - Transit to Padua through Via Bruno, Via Manzoni, Via Gattamelata, Via Ariosto and Via Venezia
- 6:30 p.m. - Arrival in Noventa Padovana (PD) with a stop in Via Roma
- 8:30 p.m. - Dinner organized in Noventa Padovana
- 10:30 p.m. - Return to the hotel
Saturday, April 26, 2025 - 80 km
- 9:00 a.m. - Departure from Noventa Padovana toward Venice along the Riviera del Brenta
- 10:00 a.m. - Arrive at the Venice Passenger Terminal, stop the vehicles and board the waterbuses
- 10:30 a.m. - Arrival at Riva degli Schiavon
- 12:00 p.m. - Free lunch in Venice
- 2:30 p.m. - Boarding the steamers at Riva degli Schiavoni
- 3:30 p.m. - Departure from the Venice Passenger Terminal toward Marcon (VE)
- 4:30 p.m. - Arrival in Marcon with a stop at the Market Square.
- 6:30 p.m. - Departure for Noventa Padovana
- 8:00 p.m. - Arrival in Noventa Padovana with a stop at Via Roma.
- 8:30 p.m. - Dinner organized in Noventa Padovana
- 10:30 p.m. - Return to the hotel
Sunday, April 27, 2025 - 80 km
- 9:00 a.m. - Departure from Noventa Padovana toward Villadose (RO)
- 9:30 a.m. - Short stop in Conselve (PD)
- 9:45 a.m. - Brief stop in Anguillara Veneta (PD).
- 10:30 a.m. - Arrival in Villadose with a stop at Via Martiri di Villadose.
- 11:00 a.m. - Departure for Ferrara along the SS16 Adriatica
- 12:00 p.m. - Return to the starting point and conclusion of the event
Face along the streets of the route, welcome the Column with enthusiasm: every salute, every cheer, is a tribute to the memory of those who fought for our freedom.
For further details and updates, you can consult the sito ufficiale dell’evento.
The editors are not responsible for any inaccuracies or changes in the schedule of events reported. In case of cancellations or changes, you can write to: infotur@comune.fe.it.
Calendar of the event
