Maria Bergamas

Maria Bergamas (Italian pronunciation: [maˈriːa berɡaˈmas]; 1867–1952) was an Italian woman who was chosen to represent all Italian mothers who had had lost a son during World War I not knowing where he was buried.

Born in Gradisca d'Isonzo 23 January 1867 she lived for many years in Trieste. At the time, both Gradisca d'Isonzo and Trieste were part of Austria-Hungary, so her only child Antonio was drafted into the Austrian Army. In 1916, Antonio deserted and joined the Regio Esercito, but was killed in action on 16 June 1916; his body was never recovered.

After the war, on 26 October 1921 in Aquileia, she chose one of 11 unidentified bodies of members of the Italian Armed Forces whose remains had been retrieved from various areas of the front. The selected body was buried on 4 November 1921 in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Vittoriano in Rome. The other 10 remains were buried in the military cemetery in Aquileia.

After her death, Bergamas was buried on 4 November 1954, the 46th anniversary of victory, in the cemetery of Aquileia, together with the bodies of the ten other unknown soldiers.

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