Italian singer-songwriter Simone Cristicchi has revealed he required police protection for three and a half years following his controversial theatrical production, “Warehouse 18,” which explored the tragic history of the Foibe massacres and the exodus of Dalmatian Christians.
Speaking on Radio Cusano Campus, Cristicchi, who is returning to the Sanremo Festival after a five-year hiatus, stated, “I had an escort in the theater for three and a half years.” He described himself as a “loose cannon” in both music and theater, always prioritizing artistic integrity and truth.
“I consider myself a deserter who does not need to desert,” Cristicchi explained. “I have always found great affection from the public for this coherence of mine. I beleive that everyone always makes choices according to conscience.”
He recalled the intense backlash he faced from certain leftist groups for “Warehouse 18,” saying,”I made enemies of a whole political party,but I wasn’t very interested as I wanted to tell the story of the eastern border,the tragedy of the foibe and the Dalmatian Christian exodus. This was a price I paid on a political level.”
Cristicchi acknowledged that not all individuals on the left condemned his work, highlighting the support he received from journalist Michele Serra, who even dedicated a column to him in the newspaper Repubblica. “He had a beautiful thought he had on freedom of expression, of thought about art in general, so it’s not all one color or another, there are also nuances and beyond this I have always felt free thinker,” Cristicchi concluded.
“Warehouse 18” sparked heated debate in Italy, highlighting the enduring sensitivity surrounding the complex history of the Foibe massacres and the plight of Italian exiles from Istria and Dalmatia after World War II.
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