European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

I was born on January 23rd, 1920 in Reggio Emilia.

My father was a poor worker who already had eight children.

I have lived a somewhat hard life, I went to elementary school

and then started working immediately.

My life started troublesome, but I'm still here and I'm happy.

My father was an old Socialist,

the gave me this name, Camillo, beause of Camillo Prampolini,

the “father” of all the poor illiterate peasants.

I was an apprentice upholsterer,

an artisan, I was making sofas, armchairs and matrasses.

Fascists? I rather remember them as assholes more than as fascists.

As a young guy, I was a member of the Young Fascists

and my friend, a foreman, asked me:

“Why didn't you come to the demonstration?”

Since we were old friends, I told him I had stayed in bed, since I was better off there.

That stupid guy went to report me to the fascists

and they gave me castor oil and beat me up in 1939.

I went to the Army, I stayed away five years

without talking to him, then a common friend came up to me and said

“Look, that guy … “ and I told him that I didn't even want to see that stupid guy.