Castel Focognano

Salutio - Torre

29/06/1944

Killing in combat of member of the Resistance

While the command of the IV Company was signalling passing planes in the hope that they were Allied aircraft about to make an airdrop, the partisan Braconi was hit by shell fragments and died two days later. Company commander Bruno Acciai was also wounded in this episode. On the same day, German documentation concerning the 10th Army around 19.00 hours, reports the shooting down of 5 Allied twin-engines by anti-aircraft Flak positioned in Bibbiena. In all likelihood, the partisans of the IV Company, who had been expecting an airdrop over Pratomagno for some time (it never happened), mistakenly attracted the attention of a German reconnaissance aircraft involved in airspace control. It should be noted that in the same period, German airmen and soldiers were being informed about the signalling systems set up by the Resistance to indicate where supplies were to be dropped.

1 Dead

Gino Braconi

Responsible Corps

Luftflotte 2, unspecified unit

The Signs

Memorial stone to partisan Gino Braconi

Informations

Place of placement: Country path

Date of placement:

Description

Memorial stone dedicated to the partisan Gino Braconi, who died in Salutio (AR), along the path between the so-called Casa di Bernardo and Pian di Bonano. It is a simple, rectangular stone of small size in which a stone plaque bearing the epigraph is embedded. On its top is a small metal cross.

Personal observations

The memorial stone, hard to spot without careful guidance, is situated along the path between the so-called Casa di Bernardo and Pian di Bonano. From the cemetery of Salutio, you take a path leading uphill, bordered by trees and meadows. You walk along it for about five minutes at a steady pace. You come out onto a dirt road and, turning right, walk for a few minutes until you reach Casa Cella (identified by a wooden plaque). After another farmhouse, you turn right, taking a slightly downhill path and walk along it for about 100 metres. When it levels out, on the left-hand side, you will find the memorial stone. Alternatively, Casa Cella can be reached by car, leaving Salutìo in the direction of Talla and taking the first road on the right after the cemetery. Another possibility is to drive to the Salutìo castle then follow the road back towards the village. 50 metres from the castle you take the path on the left leading to Casa Cella. In this case, the memorial stone will be on your right after 150 metres. This memorial stone was inventoried by me in 2008 and does not seem to be commemorated during national and/or local celebrations.

News and contextualisation

On June 29th, while the command of the IV Company of the III Battalion "Licio Nencetti" (XXIII Garibaldi Brigade "Pio Borri", Division "Arezzo"), was signalling to allied planes that were flying over the area of the Salutio Castle (Castel Focognano), in the hope of obtaining an airdrop of arms and munitions, a German plane fired a shell that killed the partisan Gino Braconi and wounded the commander Bruno Fantoni ("Brunino"). Gino Braconi, a labourer from Faltona (Talla), was a partisan in the formation described above. The date of death on the memorial stone is July 1st 1944. It is thus not clear whether the dating of the partisan report is wrong or not. Or it may be that the events actually took place on that date and that Braconi died later of his wounds on July 1st.

Gallery:

Author: Alessandro Bargellini