Silvio ‘Montes’ Marcuzzi being tortured

Silvio ‘Montes’ Marcuzzi being tortured

Two men are chained to a prison wall covered in blood. The one on the left hand side has a gaping wound on his head and blood is coming from his mouth. In the foreground, a figure in fascist uniform holds a blood-stained bludgeon while an officer points at him. A bucket is visible on the floor. The inscription on the wall reads “W L’ITALIA”.

Label reads “177”, signed by the author, caption reads “[illegible] OTTOBRE 1944. SILVIO MARCUZZI “MONTES” veniva catturato assieme ad altri al mulino di Muzzana del Turgnana UD. Dal 1943 all’agosto 1944 opera del Marcuzzi, fu’ creata l‘intendenza “Montes” dalle Prealpi Giulie ai territori della Venezia Giulia, all’Emilia, ai reparti in Carnia e al IX Corpus Sloveno. Portato a Palmanoa UD nelle mani del tenente Borsatti, e torturato a sangue nella cella No 1. Il pavimento era lordo fi sangue, e un pezzo del suo cervello era attaccato al muro, mori’ il 2 novembre 1944, 4 ore prima della decretata impiccagione, urlava come i cani, chiamava nomi strani, e cantava, chi lo vide disse: era una larva di uomo sanguinante da ogni parte, specie dalla testa, lacero scalzo completamente assente, ira impazzito, poi la fine."

Caption translates as: “[illegible] October 1944. Silvio Marcuzzi (also known as “Montes”) and others were arrested at the watermill of Muzzana del Turgnano (Udine province). Between 1943 and August 1944, the “Montes” bureau was created at the behest of Marcuzzi. It operated from the Julian Pre-Alps to the Venezia Giulia region, the Emilia, the Carnia units, and the 9th Slovenian Corps. Silvio Marcuzzi was carried to Palmanova (Udine province) by lieutenant Borsatti. He was then brutally tortured in cell number 1. The floor was filthy and covered by blood. A piece of his brain was on the wall. He died on 2 November 1944. Four hours before the hanging sentence was carried out, he was screaming like a dog, calling strange names, singing. Those who saw him stated that, by that time, he was a wreck, bleeding everywhere, especially in the head. He was lacerated, barefoot, completely distant. He went insane, then died.”

One tempera on paper, pasted on mount board

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