Ortignano Raggiolo

Reprisal linked to personal vendetta

The Partisan Commander of the III Company, Giuseppe Versari, returned to his home in Ortignano to arrange the logistics of the bread supply for his group stationed on Pratomagno. There he was surprised by a unit of local fascists. Versari defended himself, killing Egisto Mistretta, brother of the Secretary of the Fascio of Ortignano and putting the rest of his attackers to flight. However, Versari was forced to flee and left his wife Ada Bellucci alone at home. During the night, the fascists returned to Ortignano together with a strong German unit. They killed Ada and set fire to the house. The Germans left the village taking 10 hostages with them, almost all of whom were related to the Bellucci family. They were saved thanks to the intercession of Don Walfrido Pendolesi and the Prefectural Commissioner of Bibbiena, Nello Zuccaro.

1 Dead

Bellucci Ada di anni 50

Responsible Corps

The GNR sergeant Umberto Cerasi Abbatecola was indicated by witnesses as responsible for killing the woman at the instigation of the Secretary of the Fascio Mistretta, Egisto’s brother. During the trial at the Arezzo Court of Assizes (February/March 1946), Sergeant Giovacchino Solito testified that it was the German officer who had arrived with reinforcements that fired the gun. Abbatecola, who had already been sentenced to death in 1945 for other murders, torture and ill-treatment carried out in the province of Varese (some of these in collaboration with his daughter Margherita, who was a minor at the time), was shot in Ganna on March 11th 1946. For the murder of Ada Bellucci, the Special Court of Assizes of Arezzo sentenced Giuseppe Corso, Giuseppe Mistretta, Rinaldo Del Buono and Santi Innocenti respectively to 17, 15, 10 and 8 years imprisonment in March 1945.

The Voices

Settimia Bianchini

Crediti: Località Soci. Riprese di Sergio Spiganti e interviste degli studenti della scuola media di Soci, realizzata il 02/04/2003.

The Signs

Lapide ai Caduti della I e II G.M.

Informations

Place of placement: Chiesa dei SS. Matteo e Margherita

Date of placement: 1 ottobre 1958 per la sezione dedicata alle vittime della Seconda Guerra Mondiale.

Description

Lastra in marmo con lettere incise in nero, nella parte superiore sono ricordate le vittime della Prima Guerra Mondiale, nella parte sottostante in occasione del restauro della chiesa fu posta la lastra in ricordo delle vittime della Seconda Guerra Mondiale.