Solferino is not just a village in the beautiful Italian countryside, but a village with a history, an impressive history and Regimes in days still leaving its mark, so in the form of the Red Cross. Henri Dunant watched the battle of Solferino, one of the bloodiest battles in the history of Italy, this battle took place on June 24, 1859, lasted over nine hours and more than 5,500 killed, 25,000 injured and over 11,000 missing or imprisoned persons.
Ultimately, the Austrians have come off worst. Of the Battle of Solferino is said to be a decisive battle in the Second War of Independence and thus constituted a crucial step for the Italian Risorgimento (unification of Italy).
During the battle wounded or dying soldiers were mercilessly shot or impaled on the bayonet. The Swiss businessman Henry Dunant was traveling through and came right into the fray. Dunant could not bear seeing the wounded soldiers to their fate. He called as many people, especially women, from the neighboring villages to care for the wounded. Battle of Solferino
At home, the hell of Solferino Dunant could not shake. He wrote a book about it. Alongside a report on the war, he called the international community to an organization of volunteers to set up, which could provide emergency assistance.
This laid the groundwork for what Henry Dunant after the Red Cross would be.Henri Dunant - stamps Solferino is situated just west of Castiglione delle Stiviere. In that place you will find the Red Cross Museum. Following the bloodshed, the name Soferino also assigned to a purplish red color, this color can be found in the labels of the Solferino collection
Ever since its inception over a century ago, the Red Cross has been providing protection and assistance to those in distress.
In normal circumstances, in the organized society in which he usually lives, man is protected by laws and finds sustenance close at hand. But there are also situations, such as armed conflicts or natural disasters, when society is thrown out of kilter, laws are violated, man's natural environment is turned into chaos, and his safety, health and very survival are threatened: in times like those the Red Cross strives to help and protect the victims.