Italian victims of World War II massacre honoured by German President

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was in Rome on Wednesday for his inaugural visit to Italy, with the head of state taking the opportunity to honour the victims of a Nazi massacre of Italian civilians in 1944.

His Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, accompanied Steinmeier to the Ardeatine Caves in southern Rome to lay a wreath in honour of the 335 civilians executed there on March 24, 1944, in retaliation for the killing by Italian Resistance fighters of 33 German soldiers.

Other items on Steinmeier’s agenda are a lunch at the Italian president’s official residence, the Quirinal Palace, and a meeting with students at the Sapienza University of Rome.

He was also due to meet Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and former president Giorgio Napolitano later in the day.