The "Marche Liberate" archival collection is the fruit of the careful documentary research carried out by British historian Roger Absalom (1929-2009). Supported by the Fondazione Carima, it aims to provide a deeper understanding of the little-known yet significant history of the Allied forces in the Marche region, which helped to shape the identity of the Marche, and in particular, the province of Macerata.
In light of Absalom's high-quality research, the Fondazione Carima decided to make this material accessible to the general public in order to provide information about this important historical period – a key part of the Italian Civil War – to the people of the Marche region. Today, the collection can be accessed online.
Absalom served as a British officer during the Italian Campaign, where he gained first-hand knowledge of the Resistance. He lived in Italy during the 1950s before returning to England, where he taught Italian language, literature and history at Anglia Polytechnic University in Cambridge from 1960 to 1973 before becoming an honorary research fellow at Sheffield Hallam University. Absalom focused on contemporary Italian history, researching post-conflict reconstruction. His most important publications include Gli Alleati e la ricostruzione in Toscana (1944-45); Documenti anglo-americani (Florence, 2 vols, 1988-2001); A Strange Alliance: Aspects of escape and survival in Italy 1943-45 (Florence, 1991); and Perugia liberata: Documenti anglo-americani sull'occupazione alleata di Perugia 1944-1945 (Florence, 2001). Absalom also served as editor for Guida alle fonti archivistiche: Gli archivi italiani e alleati (Rome, 2004) and volume 2 of Le stragi nazifasciste in Toscana, 1943-45 (Rome, 2003-2005).
Roger Absalom passed away in 2009, and one of his last projects was among his most noteworthy. Absalom reorganized, digitized, indexed and published a magnificent archival collection online. This collection is so extensive and substantial that it provides the ideal starting point to learn more about the local and regional events that took place in this area. As Absalom noted, this collection is a powerful tool for studying the Allied presence in the Marche, which lasted from 1943 to 1946.
 
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