"Dalla trincea alla famiglia. La posta del soldato" - exhibition

From 26 September 2026 to 27 September 2026, From 3 October 2026 to 4 October 2026

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"From the Trenches to the Family. Soldiers' Mail," an exhibition dedicated to soldiers' correspondence during the First and Second World Wars, will open on Saturday, September 5th at 11:00 a.m. Organized by the 11th Casale Infantry Association in collaboration with the City of Casale Monferrato, the exhibition will be hosted in the rooms on the second floor of the Castello del Monferrato until September 20, 2026.

The exhibition is the result of research by Lieutenant Ettore Bongiovanni, vice president of the association, who collected and translated numerous original postcards from the period, sent by soldiers from the trenches and the front, into special index cards. Over 100 index cards will be presented, providing firsthand insight into the writing style of the period, including its dialects, linguistic peculiarities, and even spelling errors, along with original letters and postcards, objects, and clothing.

Special attention will also be paid to the ways in which soldiers communicated with their families. Postcards were, in fact, one of the main tools for maintaining contact with loved ones during their time at the front, in a context where correspondence was subject to specific restrictions: soldiers were not allowed to provide information on operations, describe details of life in the trenches, or indicate their location or unit.

These and other aspects will be explored in depth at the conference scheduled for Saturday, September 5th, at 3:00 PM. Following greetings from Mayor Emanuele Capra and the national president of the Infantryman's Association, Gianni Stucchi, the conference will feature author and vice president of the Casale 11th Infantry Association, Ettore Bongiovanni, retired general Antonio Zerrillo, association president Ester Patanella, Colonel Gelsomino Biasone, and two delegates from the Casale Monferrato Alpine Association Study Center. The conference will be closed by the Honorable Enzo Amich.

The exhibition will be complemented by original materials of particular historical interest, provided by the Casale Monferrato Alpine Association and the Philatelic Society, which collaborated on the exhibition.

The exhibition, which is free to visit, will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. During the week, visits for schools and groups can be arranged by booking at ass.11mocasale@libero.it.

15033 Casale Monferrato