Shimmering serenely in the bright sun, clustered with other companions on a terraced hillside or standing proudly on its own, the Mediterranean olive tree is a magnificent and noble specimen. It has ancient origins on the Italian peninsula, having been brought over from Syria several millennia ago. Its long history here has assured it a very important place in Italian life, its wood and oil used for a myriad of purposes (its oil for medicinal, religious, cooking and aesthetic purposes among others). Since they can live up to 1,500 years, olive trees were seen as a sign of stability and hope. No surprise that the olive branch came to be used as a symbol of peace, that "extending the olive branch" came to signify an offer or gesture of conciliation or goodwill.

But not even the heart of Italian olive country, the regions of Liguria and Tuscany, could escape the terrors of the Second World War. Northern and central Italy spent a trying 1¾ years under German yolk from Italy's surrender to the Allies in September 1943 until Germany's final defeat in April of 1945. In fact, while the southern half of the country was liberated early on by the allies, the two sides became entrenched in central Italy after a year of fighting. The so-called "Gothic Line" was formed, remaining in place until practically the end of the war because the Allies had more important operations in North Africa and France. (The battle for Italy was not deemed to be decisive for the war's conclusion, perhaps because the only way to get to Germany from there was by crossing the Alps). Meanwhile, Italy suffered heavily under the Germans. A Resistance movement grew and in some cases actually succeeded to liberate areas (such as the city of Milan), before the arrival of Allied troops. Before then however the occupying Germans did not take lightly to such rebels - traces of their brutal counterattacks may be seen throughout central and northern Italy.

The beauty of the Tuscan-Ligurian coastal region would beguile one to thinking the sad chapter of the never occurred. In this essay we will view the splendid olive-covered hills above Pietrasanta, where there was a terrible civilian massacre during the Second World War, as well as the scenic "Gulf of Poets", whose ports saw a great exodus of Jewish Holocaust survivors after that war.
Many fine walks may be enjoyed in the hills above the sea: for guided excursions contact the Italian Connection, which organizes deluxe walking tours throughout the region.