Wear Black Snakeskin Boots

"We, the clandestine network of the Vatican, to help Jews and Allied prisoners'

Rome, December 1943. The capital is at the mercy of the Germans who patrol around the city workers. Via Civinini 7 at the door knocking a man in his sixties. Thin, highly mobile eyes and hair as white as snow. One glimmer of light beyond the chain of the door facing an elegant lady, "I am the grandfather - the man says - I have a lot of nice gifts for my grandchildren. The Marquise Juliana Benzoni invites Emily to join the Angels. There is heat in the large hall of the residence of the aristocratic Roman Lombard, especially for those who traveled 400 kilometers from Modena Apennines chilly with makeshift equipment. But there is no time for pleasantries: with a little noble gesture the "grandfather" takes off his shoes, makes a gesture with his hand and dry from the sole crop up into strips and pieces of paper. "They're for my grandchildren.

episode looks like a novel, but is roughly what happened in the harsh winter of '43 when the 'little man' Angels Emilio became one of the most active cell of the underground movement from Livorno, shuttling between Rome, Florence, Livorno and the Apennines to help Jews, victims of political prisoners and allies. Today, thanks to new research, it is found that the group, headed by his son Emilio, Don Roberto, was by no means a marginal role in the complex web of diplomacy and rescue operations that the Holy See was able to put up in those months.

ties with the Holy See. From the archives jump out the outlines of a story still in large part to write, and only hinted at in the various writings left by Don Angel and the group of young people, with him, was the star of those struggles. Are revealed as the links forged by the priest from Livorno with the key characters of clandestine Vatican, Roman and more generally: the Marquise Juliana Benzoni, friend and adviser of Maria Jose of Savoy, the clergyman O'Flaherty Irish Hughes (the famous "Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican), Archbishop Nicholas Moscatello, ecclesiastical adviser Yugoslav embassy and Sir D'Arcy Osborne (pictured) , the British ambassador to the Holy See.

In 1600 the military aid of allies. After September 8, 1943 Christian Socialists came to the reporting of a group of allied prisoners in the area of \u200b\u200bVinchiana (Lucca). It was then that Don Angels, which has long been versed with Roman circles for his studies at the Gregorian University, he sought and established contacts with the Marchioness Giulia Benzoni "Receive an initial sum of 20 000 pounds - Angels Emilio writes in a report to the Military Intelligence Service, the Italian intelligence - for the most urgent needs of prisoners of Lucca. Since then, reports and information about groups of prisoners in need of help were multiplied. " From 10 November 1943 to 25 August 1944, the group that was headed to Don Angels managed to run to the rescue in a remarkable number of people. "1500-1600 military allies - writes the" little man "- with no fixed abode, lacking everything from clothing to food." More difficult to establish the current state of documentation, as the Jews were rescued and hidden in those months.

The Marquise Benzoni, the eminence grise in a skirt. Juliana Benzoni was a character of absolute importance in occupied Rome, from "generous soles of the shoes 'of the Marchesa, writes Fulvia Ripa di Meana," allowed military leave, leave and false papers' s identity. " For Maria José of Belgium, was a sort of eminence grise in a skirt ", able to introduce the" Queen of May "in Roman and anti-Fascist circles in direct contact with the replacement of the Vatican Secretariat of State, Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini. "In Badoglio Bonomi, Croce, Sforza, De Nicola, Togliatti, Nenni, De Gasperi, Gonella, Saragat, La Malfa, Giorgio Amendola, generals and eminent Vatican, "gappisti" emissaries and allies - he wrote in Ajello - the Benzoni praised his talents. It was time vivandiere of the partisans of forged ration cards and now an expert in radio receiver-transmitters and "nurse of 'information', now to take charge of hiding prisoners, Jews, military misfits."

Rivers of good money from Rome. At about the same steps that could set up the group of Don Angel, in midst of Tuscany: the arms of Livorno were able to get relief, as well as in the province of Livorno, including those of Florence, Pistoia, Grosseto, Modena and the Apuan Alps. For the relief of the Allied prisoners the only Benzoni, writes Emily Angels, "gave me a total sum of three hundred and fifty thousand pounds." Be debt calculations this is about € 100 thousand today. But it was not all: "Given the lack of funds made available by Benzoni - writes the" little man "- with the onset of winter needs, my son, Don Roberto went back to Rome, being able to confer directly with the Irish Embassy in Vatican embassy of Yugoslavia. Thus the situation of the Allied prisoners in Tuscany was also made the British Embassy in the Vatican. " For the Yugoslav military, hidden near Ponte a Moriano, were brought aid which came from Monsignor Nicholas Moscatello, Yugoslav embassy.

At work with the "Scarlet Pimpernel." But it was with the Irish Embassy and the British that Don Angel was able to create the most valuable contacts, "The Irish Embassy - Emilio writes Angels - was able to ensure that all loans and expenses incurred by anyone for help prisoners would be returned by the Allies as soon as the territory had been liberated. The data make it impossible for the British Embassy to provide the sums required at the time. Embassy Irish names were so worn and Allied prisoners of messages to be transmitted to London. " Strategic driving force was the Irish Embassy Church of the Holy Office, Monsignor O'Flaherty. "The action of the Irish - Andrea Riccardi writes - in between the Vatican and immunity personal courage, is an emblematic case of the climate of Rome in those months." The lord often stationed near the Basilica di San Pietro, the square, and make contact with any allied soldiers have arrived there among the people. Several clergymen, priests, diplomats and anti-Nazi allies were related to its clandestine network. An important contact that these green activities support group Leghorn. "After these arrangements - Sim wrote to the" little man "- we felt empowered to ensure families and all those who supported the costs for the prisoners that the expenses they incurred, amounts paid and may have suffered property damage would have been recovered in their after the war. On this basis we extended our full support activities. "

The clandestine network: the heroism of ordinary people. The documents kept in the archives recall from oblivion the names of all the dense network of families and priests who courageously risked their lives while helping those in trouble, then simply return to everyday life. A Vinchiana (Lucca) Giannecchini William and his sister Pauline Fazio took care of distributing money, food, clothing and medicines from Rome, providing housing for former Allied prisoners from the families of farmers and by hiding in the mountains. A Vicchio Mugello were delivered to the lawyer Elysium Vanni twenty thousand francs and medicines to groups of Vicchio, Borgo San Lorenzo and Monte Giove. A Dicomano, Pieve Pelago (Florence) and Pavullo (Modena) were involved in the network to aid the priests of the place. In Grosseto money, food and clothing were sorted by Marsilio Illuminati. Apuane worked the Dominican priest Peter Judge Montignoso; for the province of Livorno, in addition to Don Angel worked mainly Luciano Merlini, Renato Orlandini, Harold Figaro, Don Italo Cremona and Erminia Gambin i. Finally, for the province of Florence, writes Emily Angels, "the money and support facilities were handed over to Miss Anna Maria Enriques Agnoletti , tireless and ready to lend generously to the most dangerous covert operations to help and assist."

(published on-Toscanaoggi Week of January 9, 2011)