Some people visit a country with a travel guidebook in hand, checking off must-see sites and tourist hotspots. Me? In April 2025, I joined La Colonna della Libertà (“The Column of Freedom”), one of Italy’s most evocative historical reenactment events, created to commemorate the liberation of Italy from Nazi and Fascist rule during World War II. I traveled through Northern Italy in a convoy of 150 World War II vehicles and 400 living-history participants, where history wasn’t just remembered – it came alive at every turn.
Exploring Italy’s Liberation Through a Canadian Lens
As a Canadian travel photographer (and the only Canadian participant), La Colonna della Libertà 2025 was an unparalleled opportunity—not just to witness this historical spectacle, but to live it. This wasn’t passive sightseeing; it was an immersive encounter with history. Through conversations with fellow participants and townspeople along the route, Northern Italy became a place where memory, landscape, and lived experience converged.
Nearly a year after this unforgettable adventure, and after sorting through thousands of photos and videos, I’m finally ready to share it! I invite you to sit back and enjoy this captivating 13-minute video, offering a glimpse of Italy in 1945 during its liberation…
La Colonna della Libertà: The Column of Freedom
To understand the full scope of the journey, it helps to start with the story of La Colonna della Libertà itself.
La Colonna della Libertà — a living thread connecting past and present — honors the courage of Allied troops and Italian partisans who risked everything to restore democracy. Held annually around 25 April (Liberation Day in Italy), the event retraces historic routes used during the final stages of the Italian Campaign in 1945. It combines mechanical spectacle, historical reenactment, and heartfelt commemoration in a unique traveling experience that engages communities and people at every stop.
History in Motion – La Colonna della Liberta
History in Motion: The 2025 Journey of La Colonna della Libertà
La Colonna della Libertà 2025 was especially poignant, marking the 80th anniversary of Italy’s liberation. Over four days from 24–27 April 2025, the convoy journeyed from Ferrara to Venice, passing through historic towns such as Rovigo and Noventa Padovana, and culminating in public displays that brought history alive for thousands of spectators along the route.
La Colonna della Liberta partipants boarding vaporetti in Venice, Italy
Spectators at La Colonna della Liberta in Monselice, Italy
About 150 original World War II-era military vehicles formed the convoy in 2025, ranging from Jeep Willys, GMC and Dodge trucks, motorcycles, and amphibious DUKWs, to other rare restored transports from both Allied and Axis forces (and I had the opportunity to ride along in several of them!).
WWII Vehicles at La Colonna della Liberta in Monselice, Italy
Nearly 400 reenactors and enthusiasts participated, dressed in period-appropriate uniforms and clothing, bringing authenticity to every stop along the route. Participants came from across Europe and beyond, including Italy of course, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Brazil and Canada. (I was the sole Canadian in 2025!).
La Colonna della Liberta in Ferrara, Italy
Each day was a rhythm of movement, engagement, and reflection: driving through scenic roads, stopping in villages to meet locals, allowing children and adults alike to explore vehicles up close, take photographs, and chat with participants about the history behind each machine.
Together, the vehicles and participants created a moving, tactile connection to the past. The meticulous care of restorers, the detail of every uniform, the camaraderie among participants reminded me that history is alive, breathing through the people and places who remember it.
Men playing cards in Ferrara – La Colonna Della Liberta
Sharing Stories and Making Connections
Meals, aperitivo, and dinner gatherings with participants allowed for shared stories, laughter, and camaraderie at the end of each long day. Overnight stays in local towns offered both rest and the chance to connect more deeply with fellow reenactors, sharing the experiences of the day and the stories behind the vehicles and uniforms.
Dinner in Ferrara at La Colonna della Liberta
One of the most meaningful moments for me came when I was invited to speak to the group. I shared how my father, Terry Brown, turned his dedication and passion for honoring Canadians who served in the Second World War into a personal mission.
That dedication led him to uncovering the fate of his uncle, Robert Spencer Hollowell. While serving with the RCAF, he and six fellow crew members went missing over the Bay of Biscay on June 1, 1943. Through his research, my father pieced together what happened to his uncle’s bomber, and after tracking down surviving family members for each of the crew, he was able to provide long-awaited answers and closure.
Standing there, surrounded by living history in motion, I felt a deep surge of pride, knowing how proud my “Pops” was for me to be fully immersed in this tribute to courage, sacrifice, and remembrance. For those interested, the full story of my father’s fascinating research can be read here in this article by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.
Organization – Collaboration – Coordination
Organizing such a massive undertaking requires dedication, vision, and incredible coordination. The driving force behind the event is a well-orchestrated collaborative effort among Museo Gotica Toscana APS, the Museo della Seconda Guerra Mondiale del Fiume Po, and History Military Vehicles Italia.
La Colonna della Liberta Organizers
Special recognition goes to Filippo Spadi, Simone Guidorzi and their remarkable team — from traffic escorts and cooks to volunteers and administrators — for orchestrating an event of unmatched coordination and scale. Their leadership and meticulous planning ensured everything ran flawlessly: timing the convoy, arranging meals and overnight stays, communicating with everyone through WhatsApp, coordinating with local authorities, and creating opportunities for meaningful interaction between participants and communities. Very impressive!
Gratitude for an Unforgettable Journey
For me, participating in La Colonna della Libertà was the most extraordinary way to experience Northern Italy — not as a tourist checking off a list, but as a witness to the past, seeing the country through memory, courage, and shared stories. I am deeply grateful to my friend Fabio Bresciani, who made it possible for me to attend La Colonna.
I am also profoundly thankful to the many individuals who welcomed me to ride along in their vehicles. Each ride offered something unique, and the sheer variety of experiences and photo opportunities was so rich and immersive that it has taken me nearly a year to finally write and share this story!
New Connections at La Colonna della Liberta
And to all the fellow participants I met along the way: your warmth, generosity, and humor made these four days unforgettable. La Colonna della Libertà was, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable journeys of my life, and these memories will stay with me forever. GRAZIE MILLE A TUTTI! (Don’t miss the captivating summary video featured above).
P.S. I truly wish I could join you in April 2026, but I will be traveling to another continent at that time!
Participants of La Colonna della Liberta 2025 at Piazza San Marco, Venice
La Colonna della Libertà 2026 – Registration is Open
La Colonna della Libertà 2026 will take place from 24–26 April, tracing a scenic route from Parma through the Cisa Pass, along the Ligurian coast to La Spezia, Lerici, Sarzana, Borgo Val di Taro, and returning to Noceto. For those wishing to join this remarkable journey, details and registration are available at https://www.colonnadellaliberta.it or email at info@colonnadellaliberta.it.
What did you think of the Story?
If you got this far, I’d love to hear what you thought of this story! I always appreciate hearing from readers. If you’d like to leave a comment, just scroll to the bottom of the page.
***NOTE: Stay tuned for more travel adventures! This month I began my 3rd sabbatical (see 2015 and 2020 for my last two!). If you’d like to tag along with my travels, I welcome you to subscribe to my blog (Instagram: @coldinyk).
I enjoy living history events. They are always a great moment for photography.
Hi John! Thanks for your comment:) It sure was a challenge to put this all in a story; in the end, I felt that the video was the main medium for relaying the sentiment and mood of the event. It was an incredible opportunity like no other and I’m grateful to have had such an opportunity, and I left with wonderful memories and new friendships! It also gave me a really unique sense of what it was like back in the day….
This blog is absolutely beautiful and captivating. What an incredible opportunity for you. We can experience this trip through your pictures and words.
Thank you so much for sharing with us a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Thank you my dear friend! I had the time of my life, and even though I only knew one person amongst the near 400, I left feeling like I became part of a big family!!! It was so wonderful!
Wow what an amazing opportunity such a wonderful opportunity to relive history and imagine what it must have been like.
Thank you for sharing it all
Like no other! And that’s why it took me so long to pull this story together (actually it was the video and photo selection that took the longest!) So happy it is finished and out there to share! Thanks for reading:)
Great article that should be in Legion Magazine. Living history, great photos – who could ask for more.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed. I’m about to take off on my next adventure, and slowly but surely, I will share the story to other outlets who might find this of interest:) It was quite the experience!!
One word – Spectacular! What an amazing privilege it was for you to be invited to take part in this historical WW11 reenactment adventure in Italy…a once in a lifetime experience and to be the only Canadian participant was pretty special! Your photographs were of many unique moments during the historic routes taken and they told stories of the people experiencing reliving history! And then to include a personal story about your Pops research and findings of his uncle in the war, was very special! Your story/video is remarkable and should be shared in magazines and/or in Legions or even schools in Italy.
We are thankful to your friend, Fabio, for inviting you to take part in this special event. We understand it takes talent, along with many hours/days/weeks/months to compile and write a story like this. You were there as a participant not the photographer but yet you felt it was important to be shared. So thank you! We are very proud of you!
I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity! It was unlike anything I’ve ever done… well, it kind of reminds me when I went to Andrea’s Italian wedding in Italy, where I knew no one but him (the groom!), and I had the most amazing time and made new friends! I became emotional as I shared Pops’ research/discovery , and knowing how much he cares about remembrance and the history, I knew how much it meant to him that I was there! Sadly I will be missing out this year, (i’ll be on other adventures!) but I sure would love to join the convoy again and reunite with my new friends from all over the place! It was truly such an honour to be participating, especially as the only Canadian!
What an amazing opportunity to participate in this historic reenactment! Travelling to Italy and engaging at the community level must create great memories. A gem for your travels. I loved the video, it projects such a sense of community, a sense of place, at a different time.
Well done!
Thank you! I’m happy to have the story out there for all to read and watch! Maybe others will be inspired to tag along on in a future convoy (in person!)… it’s open to the public, and I’m still surprised that I was the only Canadian!
This was fantastic history. When I think of the timeline, I can’t believe that in August I will turn 80 and this happened just before my birth. It really brings history to the fore front of my life. My husband was just a young child during the war in the Philippines. He saw so much of the war in the Pacific part of WWII. My father’s 5 brothers fought in the war in Europe and the Pacific. Then I also think of my 2nd great-grandfather who immigrated to America from Italy in the 1850’s as a very young man. He would have probably been very worried about his family left in Italy had he lived to ripe old age. My uncles came home without injuries but quite a few close calls. My father was the head of a dairy business and was not allowed to serve because his 5 brothers were serving.
Thank you for this beautiful video and story about Italy’s freedom.
Hi Karen! Great to hear from you! Thank you for reading and commenting on the story! I always love to hear from readers, especially when the story made you “feel” something! I hope life is treating you well! I’m off on another adventure very soon… in a couple of days! Yikes!! Stay tuned:)