Marcinelle mining disaster 70th anniversary marked in Italy and Belgium

Marcinelle disaster Bois du Cazier 70th anniversary Italian miners labor memory

On 8 August 1956 a fire in the Bois du Cazier coal mine at Marcinelle, Belgium, killed 262 miners, including 136 Italians, 60 of whom came from the Abruzzo region. The tragedy shaped post‑war Italian emigration and labor consciousness.

In August 2026, commemorations were held in both countries. A CGIL delegation led by General Secretary Maurizio Landini visited the mine site, attended press briefings and took part in ceremonies organized with Belgian trade‑union FGTB and Italian diplomatic representatives. In Pescara, Italy, a conference titled “Oltre la miniera” gathered regional officials, historians and union leaders to reflect on the disaster and its legacy. The Italian Senate approved a bill designating the Marcinelle Caduti Square and the Chapel of the Victims in Manoppello as national monuments.

Entities: Abruzzo · Belgium · Bois du Cazier · Bois du Cazier mine · CGIL · Italy · Marcinelle · Maurizio Landini

Sources

Marcinelle, 70 anni dopo. La tragedia che cambiò l’emigrazione italiana e la coscienza del lavoro nel mondo | Vox Militiae [www.voxmilitiae.it]

5 days ago

70° Marcinelle: Cgil, 7 e 8 agosto iniziative di commemorazione con Landini [www.cgil.it]

3 days ago

Marcinelle, in Abruzzo una giornata di memoria su lavoro e migrazione - Giulianova. it [www.giulianova.it]

3 days ago

Tragedia di Marcinelle, “Oltre la miniera”: emigrazione e lavoro [www.rete8.it]

3 days ago

Marcinelle, 70 anni dopo: la tragedia che cambiò l’emigrazione italiana e la coscienza del lavoro nel mondo [www.thewalkoffame.it]

5 days ago