The destruction of the Abbey represents the end of illusions. People assist powerlessly to the violation of an untouchable symbol. The film, depicts period images as well as fiction, accompanied by Verdi’s Dies Ire. It shows the shock and the crude facts of the ruins. A new element strengthens the film: the point of view of those who lived the raid being inside the Abbey. After the devastation there is silence: Malipiero’s IV movement “Sinfonia delle campane” echoes in the desolation.

The olive tree, the artistic portrayal set in an alcove opposite the screen, symbolizes the sense of eradication lived by the population and the loss of every identity. In the background, the moans and the sounds of traction, torsion and distortion are perceived.
A leaflet shows the Allies warning the population to abandon the Abbey.