Bella ciao

"Bella ciao" (Italian: [ˈbɛlla ˈtʃaːo]) is an anti-Nazi and anti-fascist Italian folk song dedicated to the partisans of the Italian resistance, who fought against the occupying troops of Nazi Germany and the collaborationist fascist forces during the liberation of Italy.

The exact origins are not known, but it is theorized to be based on a folk song of the late 19th century, sung by female workers (mondine) of the paddy fields in Northern Italy in protest against harsh working conditions. There is little evidence of the song being used during World War II, with the current partisan version becoming widespread only after it ended. Versions of Bella ciao continue to be sung worldwide as a hymn of resistance against Nazism, fascism, injustice and oppression.

History

The origins of the song are unclear, although one hypothesis is that "Bella ciao" was originally sung as "Alla mattina appena alzata" ("In the morning as soon as I woke up") by seasonal workers of paddy fields of rice, especially in Italy's Po Valley from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, with different lyrics. They worked at mondare (weeding) the rice fields in Northern Italy, to help the healthy growth of young rice plants. This work was performed during the flooding of the fields, from the end of April to the beginning of June every year. During this time, the first stages of the rice plants' development, the delicate shoots needed to be protected from the difference in temperature between the day and the night. It consisted of two phases: transplanting the plants and pruning the weeds.