“Pray for our souls” (Red Rosary with Glass Cross). Inspired by the beauty and significance of the Holy Rosary, “Pray for our Souls” seeks to honor and commemorate the thousands of women and children that were raped in the aftermath of Monte Cassino. Monte Cassino was captured by the Allies on May 18, 1944. The next night, thousands of Goumiers and other colonial troops swarmed over the slopes of the hills surrounding the town and in the villages of Ciociaria (South Latium). Over 2,000 women, ranging in age from 11 to 86, suffered from violence, when village after village came under control of the Goumiers. Civilian men who tried to protect their wives and daughters were murdered without mercy. The number of men killed has been estimated at roughly 800. The mayor of Esperia, a commune in the Province of Frosinone, reported that in his town, 700 women out of 2,500 inhabitants were raped and that some had died as a result. According to Italian sources, more than 7,000 Italian civilians, including women, children and some men, were raped by Goumiers. “Pray for our souls” seeks to not let this be forgotten.
