Concentration Camps Urbisaglia and Ferramonti di Tarsia – Internment Camp Carate-Urio; Camp-to-Camp Mail

Under pressure from Germany, the government of fascist Italy arrested Jews and confined them to dismal camps, though never with sufficient enthusiasm to satisfy the Nazis. Camp Urbisaglia in the fortified villa of the Giustiniani-Bandini princes was one of the first to open in June 1940, and one of the smallest with about 100 captives. It was located midway between Rome and Venice near the Adriatic coast. Ferramonti di Tarsia in southern Italy, where about 3,900 Jews were imprisoned, was the largest concentration camp in Italy, constructed June 4, 1940, six days before Italy entered the war. Arrests of Jews began June 15, and the first ones arrived at Ferramonti on June 20. On September 4, 1943, just prior to Italy’s surrender, the government released prisoners from all camps in territory under its control.