“Rome, Open City” and a Look at Italian Life During War
How the film depicts life in fascist Italy—and one woman’s youth during the war
By Mia Ferraro
At Piazza di San Cosimato, the outdoor movie theater Il Cinema in Piazza screens Rome, Open City. A large crowd of young adults gathers to watch the old black-and-white film about courage, integrity, and resistance in Italy during World War II. While the characters are fictional, they offer accurate insight into the lived experiences of ordinary Italian citizens evading war—citizens like Maria Napoli Ferraro.
Rome, Open City was created in 1945 by Roberto Rossellini. The story of unshakable courage follows Giorgio Manfredi, a leader of the resistance against the fascist party, as he hides from German troops seeking to interrogate him. He seeks help from Pina, the wife of Francesco—another resistance leader—and Don Pietro, a Catholic priest.
Set just one year prior to its creation, the historical fiction piece captures the horrors of war and the fascist regime. At the beginning of the film, women are seen looting bread from a bakery—commenting on the lack of resources during the war. When the characters hear an explosion, they close their curtains and turn off the lights, as civilians would do to make it harder for aircraft to locate their targets. Manfredi’s attempted escape demonstrates the urgency for civilians and resistance leaders alike to run to safety.
The depiction of poor living conditions, fear, and panic in the film offers a deeper understanding of what Italian citizens of the time really lived through.
Ferraro was featured in her son Peter’s 2021 documentary Il Messaggero, which centered around her husband Pietro and his experience of immigrating to the United States. In preparation for the film, Peter interviewed her about her experience in Italy during World War II.
Ferraro was 8 years old and living in San Pietro in Guarano during the war. Even in the last years of her life, she carried a detailed account of the traumatic time—down to the foods she ate in hiding: lots of potatoes and onions.
She remembered the hidden door to her neighbor’s root cellar, where others in the neighborhood stored their valuables before fleeing town for safety. It was sealed with plaster to appear as if there were no entrance, tricking potential thieves. Stories had spread throughout Italian communities about German soldiers stealing from civilians, who began to take precautions to protect what little they had.
Ferraro also recalled the nights her father would return from volunteering to pick up bodies and bury the dead after the American bombings of Cosenza.
Her father would lead townspeople to the mountains, where they could hide in railroad tunnels during air strikes on nearby cities.
“We would always flee to the mountains because we were scared,” Ferraro said in a scene from Il Messaggero. In August of 1943, she and her family stayed with a friend for ten days.
“There were ten of us in one room,” she said. “We didn’t have much to eat. It was a difficult time for us; we were very worried.”
Ferraro and her family returned home after Italy surrendered to the Allied Powers. After that, the family received visits from Italian-American soldiers.
She specifically remembered her father’s cousin from Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, staying at the house for two days. He spoke little Italian but said he was sorry—that he had been ordered to bomb the region. He gave the family his military rations of bread and insisted on sleeping on the concrete floor next to the fireplace, refusing their offer of an extra bed.
“Speaking with Mom, it sounded like he didn’t want to impose, as if their mission had disturbed everyday life enough in recent months,” Peter wrote in his notes after his conversation with Ferraro. “I feel it was a gesture of respect—a way to express without words his remorse and love for the people of San Pietro.”
Rome, Open City ends when the characters’ stories end, but not when the story of fascist Italy ends. The acts of resistance leave the viewer with a sense of hope, likely already aware of what would come next for the people of Italy. The film closes with a clip of children walking together after witnessing the priest’s final act of courage. The scene suggests a sense of understanding and growth among the boys—a feeling that they will always be affected by the events they lived through.
In a similar way, Ferraro and her generation would be forever changed by the fear and tragedies they experienced during the war, as well as the relief and joy when it was over.
Note: Maria Ferraro was my grandmother, and Peter Ferraro is my father. I retained the information about her experiences through him.
