Partisan and Victims of Fascism Memorial in Rovinj, Croatia

During World War II, Croatia, a former part of Yugoslavia, fought against German and Italian fascists. Despite being invaded by Axis forces in 1941, Istria contributed significantly to the anti-fascist movement. The region is proud of its freedom-fighting spirit, commemorating its efforts with various statues, memorials, and sculptures. From 1943 to 1945, approximately 29,000 Istrian fighters fought against fascism. In 1956, Croatia unveiled a monument to honor the partisans and victims of the war. The monument was created by Ivan Savolic, a sculptor born in Croatia who was part of a group of artists moving away from socialist realism. Rovinj has two statue busts of fellow freedom fighters Giuseppe Budicin and Matteo Benussi. Little is known about their lives, but Budicin organized resistance in 1943 and was captured and killed by Axis forces in 1944. Benussi was a worker and communist militant who dedicated himself to acts of sabotage and was awarded the title of "People's Hero" in 1953, two years after his death.