The 18 -year -old partisan tortured and sentenced to death. The sister asked the Duce’s grace. And he replied: « I come late, I understand the pain. » The unpublished letters

Let’s start this story of resistance in Milan with a flashback Sound of eighty years split. We begin with a question of grace « received a few days later » the sentence – a death sentence, performed – issued by the republican military court. So « too late », with a shooting that has already happened: otherwise « I would have examined the case of your brother with particular attention ».

Words signed on January 23, 1945 by Benito Mussolini And addressed to Clementina Folli, auxiliary of the black brigades « Aldo Resega ». The woman – you only know that she was a widow – was the sister of an eighteen -year -old partisan, Attilio, executed by the fascists in Milan. Exception carved in the memory of liberation: it was January 14, 1945. In Campo Giuriati, then as today a sports facility, nine partisans end up on the wall: average age 20 years. The youngest are three eighteen -year -olds: precisely Attilio, then Giancarlo Serrani and Sergio Bazzoni. The oldest are Luciano Rossi and Roberto Garbino, both twenty -two.

A few days earlier, the explosion of a bomb, probably Gappista, had killed eight people Between German soldiers, republicans and (perhaps) three passers -by. The fascist authorities want revenge and take those nine unfortunate who, for other resistance events, were locked up in San Vittore. They torture them and the process is a farce. They condemn them to death even if they have nothing to do with that attack. But then not everyone in the platoon of execution if they feel to shootso much so that some officers will finish the dying with the gun. So far the well -known facts.

But now: the documents viewed by Corriere della Sera at the Central State Archive at the Eur – the assignment is that of the « particular secretariat of the Duce » – They tell this story from the point of view of Clementina. It is January 17, 1945. The auxiliary of Resega wants to save his brother. From his home in via Sangalli he appeals directly to Mussolini, writing to him an accurate letter. « In this painful hour that a cruel destiny wanted to reserve me I turn to you, your good soul will not remain indifferent. » «My unfortunate brother Attilio, the first honest worker and an excellent citizen, was misrepresented (?) And corrupt by traviati friends promulgated of subversive ideas ». Attilio, « weak by instinct, did not know how to react against evil » and the capital penalty was taken because he followed « bad advice ». But here it is, the plea: « You who are a father can understand my great pain », The same as « my parents unaware of everything ». Only « your word will be able to save it and return it to the right way ».

Six days pass and the Duce, from Gargnano, The headquarters of the « Government » of the RSI sul Gardareply to Clementina: for the massacre of the juriator field « you know that I granted three thanks and, given your quality of » auxiliary « of the » Resega « and the content of your letter » « I would have examined the case of your brother with particular attention ». Except: « As I repeat, your letter came to me in fact ». The conclusion is lapidary: « I understand your pain ».

That there had been three thanks it must be a real fact: the Courier – But it is the republican one, with the director Ermanno Amicucci appointed directly by the Duce after September 8 – in the aftermath of the massacre, on the 15th, defining « terrorists », in a cutting room, those nine boys.

But now the camera returns to the present day, and It is as if we were live. There is another point of view to be recorded, and in some respects it is even more surprising than the previous one. Attilio’s best friend is still alive and has a prodigious memory. He is a former partisan, his name is Alfonso Vai, he is almost 95 years old, he is married to Anselmina, He has three daughters and is a former dental technician. He lives in Milan, peripheral area. The Courier He went home to show him the correspondence recovered to the central archive. But before reading it in full (he will cry) Alfonso wants to summarize the massacre from another perspective, that of resistance and liberation.

Let’s start from the beginning. « Who was Attilio? A young man at the time of sixteen years – summarizes the old man – whom I met during the period in which as a boy I found myself becoming an adult. We knew each other in a bar from the parts of Viale Umbria. He protected me from the oldest ones they sought, to the billiards or in the cards, to cheat. There was empathy. One day he asked me to hide weapons, first a rifle, then a gun, I started like this … he understood that I was anti -fascist because with a confined one who frequented the bar, Gennarino, I always talked about Kant and freedom ».

Around Attilio revolves the band of these very young partisansthe who seem the boys of the Via Paal, « There was the Carlo, son of the grocer with whom I did my homework together, the bag that was a gay, the Martino, the Giuliano: what did we do? We stole weapons from the Nazi -fascists and medicines from the pharmacies, things like this ». We will then see as Alfonso Scampi to the raid that brings them all to San Vittore, and is a novel in the novel. For now, let’s limit ourselves at the time when this vigorous ninety -five year old begins to read the correspondence on grace. They are silent minutes that seem endless. Words read and reread. Suddenly the former partisan extends in a series of heavy words towards Clementina when she writes that « Attilio is a weak … ». « Disgraced, cretinette … but how do you turn to a man so with these words? … ». Curious: a phrase that follows this who directed Sandro Pertini to his mother When he knew that she too had asked for grace to the Duce for her son (the future head of state, former partisan) then in prison: « Mom, with what soul you could do this … ».

Attilio continues the reading, now there is the dictator’s response who says: « I understand his pain. » « Sensitive », he blurts freezing Attilio referring to the Duce. « But how do you do it? ... To G’ha dit That would save him: but since he arrived late, goodnight ». The old man holds the tears barely. Then he reflects: this text « makes me the effect that was the destiny that would kill him ». He burst again, almost turning to Mussolini and the heads of the RSI: «They shouldn’t have killed him, meanwhile because he had never killed anyone. And then they should have seen him in action, the Attilio, and they would have understood who he was. He was able to disarm the German soldiers only by pointing an index behind his back, making him believe it was a gun. Yes, they should have seen it in action … ». And this time cries.

But because Alfonso did not end in San Vittore With all the other kids by scrapsing the massacre? The former partisan recalls that the gang was dismantled because at the bar there was a strange character, a blowa duplication named Misha who made names to the fascist police. Then, sitting on an armchair in the living room, the 95 -year -old continues: «In September 1944 the black brigades broke into our house, they pointed the machine gun against dad, mom, my brothers. Suddenly they rummage on my desk, they find a bullet, they pushes me. That bullet had given me the Attilio to hide; But I invent of having found him in the courtyard, a stuff of kids. I convince them, they leave. « 

The worst, however, comes now, with the furious reaction, and long incomprehensible, of the father, Augustus. « He raised me, attacked me on the wall twice and shouted me: » Do you jeopardize all of us! Do you understand? «  ». Then the man moves away his son from Milan, hides him in the countryside, in the Pavese, without explaining anything. «I only saw him on April 22 when he came to pick me up telling me: « You have to go back to Milan, you have to have fun »». Alfonso discovers the twist that day: his father is a partisan leader, a Gappista, a political commissioner of the PCI, medal at the value of the resistance. Yet it continues not to trust the parent. Not even he tells him about the weapons that he continues to keep, so much so that the 24 fonds to recover them in a safe place near a stream. «Only you and I will know, pre -length no » Attilio had told him, bringing his index on his lips.

The « Santabarbara » taken to the German soldiers and republicans was still there « With four hand grenades, a musket with bayonet and the revolver ». Alfonso cries again: that discovery is proof that « my friend in San Vittore hadn’t spoken ». One last question to the partisan: But then after April 25 with his dad Augustus you will have recalled Attilio and yours band? « Yes, he only told me that we were disorganized. »