European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

I said I wanted to get ‘in’, that I also wanted to do whatever they knew about. The very next day I was called to my first meeting.

but now in my old age I have dedicated myself entirely to my primary vocation – painting.

I must say that we imagined a different world after WWII. A different world would arise than the one we live in now.

But one just has to adjust one’s expectations to what is going on in society.

and practically every day you would be informed of something horrible.

It is difficult to say whether one could even feel in the mood to create some great piece of art.

usually doing things similar to that in the program at the Zagreb Academy – just enough to stay in condition.

It was later, when I joined the partisans that I could finally make use of my painting skills.

Giacomo Notari was born in Busana (RE) on December 6th 1927. Today he still lives in this small village in the mountains near Reggio Emilia. After having witnessed several innocent people killed by the fascists, he was still very young when he decided to become a partisan. After the 8th of September 1943 he joined the 145th Garibaldi Brigade »Franco Casoli«, operating in the mountains near Reggio in the area of Ligonchio, Busana and Cervarezza. His battle name was »Willi«. He took part in several sabotages of bridges and telephone poles, as well as in the last great battle to defend the Ligonchio hydroelectric power plant, from 10 to 14 April 1945.

Province of Reggio Emilia

Camillo Marmiroli at work in his upholsterer shop at the end of the 1960ies in Piave Street in Reggio Emilia.

„Mirko“ together with the partisans „Toni“ Fernando Cavazzini (in the middle) and „Volpe“ Francesco Bertacchini during the Sentieri Partigiani walk in September, 2006.