European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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They reached Santo Stefano, where the order was not to go into town since there were snipers shooting.
They reached Santo Stefano, where the order was not to go into town since there were snipers shooting.
poi sono arrivate a Santo Stefano, l’ordine era di non entrare in città perché c’erano i franchi tiratori che sparavano avanti e indietro così. -
At the time of the Liberation,
At the time of the Liberation,
Quando c’è stata poi la Liberazione, -
the partisans changed the road signs on the Via Emilia,
the partisans changed the road signs on the Via Emilia,
i tedeschi, sulla Via Emilia, i partigiani c’han spostato la segnaletica, -
so that the Germans headed towards the lowlands instead of Milan.
so that the Germans headed towards the lowlands instead of Milan.
anziché segnare Milano, li han fatti andare nella bassa. -
There they found all the bridges blown up.
There they found all the bridges blown up.
Nella bassa si son trovati con tutti i ponti saltati -
It was a nightmare for them, until they made it to Boretto.
It was a nightmare for them, until they made it to Boretto.
ed è stato un casino per loro, finché sono arrivati a Boretto, -
With difficulty they had to leave thousands of tanks, horses, other things, an incredible haul.
With difficulty they had to leave thousands of tanks, horses, other things, an incredible haul.
con fatica lì hanno lasciato migliaia di carri armati, cavalli… un po’ di tutto insomma, un bottino enorme. -
Few or none of the Germans made it across the Po river.
Few or none of the Germans made it across the Po river.
I tedeschi nessuno è riuscito a passare, o pochi, il Po. -
The Resistance for me was just like going to university.
The Resistance for me was just like going to university.
Per me è stata la mia università, la Resistenza. -
I learned to feel confident throughout my whole life, and never felt uncomfortable again.
I learned to feel confident throughout my whole life, and never felt uncomfortable again.
Perché ho imparato che io non mi sono mai trovato a disagio in tutta la vita, mi son sempre sentito sicuro. -
That’s why I set up the cooperative although everybody was against the idea. Consorzio, Federcoop laughed at me:
That’s why I set up the cooperative although everybody was against the idea. Consorzio, Federcoop laughed at me:
Perciò ho fatto la cooperativa che eran tutti contrari: Consorzio, Federcoop, ecc. M’han riso in faccia, m’han detto: -
“What are you setting up the cooperative for? You wouldn’t be able to lead a cooperative even if the times were different”.
“What are you setting up the cooperative for? You wouldn’t be able to lead a cooperative even if the times were different”.
“Ma cosa fai la cooperativa che è tutto in fallimento, tu non hai neanche esperienza, perciò anche se ci fossero le condizioni, tu non sei all’altezza di andare a reggere una cooperativa”. -
I replied: “You don’t understand. I took part in the Resistance and I learned a lot from it.
I replied: “You don’t understand. I took part in the Resistance and I learned a lot from it.
Io ho detto: “Ma voi avete sbagliato tutto, io sono stato nella Resistenza, e la Resistenza ho imparato molto, è stata la mia università, -
We did things you wouldn’t even imagine”.
We did things you wouldn’t even imagine”.
abbiam fatto cose che voi non immaginate neanche”. -
It was hard to forgive…
It was hard to forgive…
Era difficile perdonare... -
We were all between 15 and 28 years old.
We were all between 15 and 28 years old.
Andavamo da 15 a 28 anni. -
A boy called Francia wasn’t even fifteen.
A boy called Francia wasn’t even fifteen.
Un ragazzo di …, si chiamava Francia, aveva 15 anni, non aveva compiuto i 15 anni. -
Another one from Guastalla, who’s still alive, was seventeen,
Another one from Guastalla, who’s still alive, was seventeen,
Un altro di… che abita a Guastalla, c’è ancora, ne aveva 17, -
the others were around 20-21 years old.
the others were around 20-21 years old.
gli altri avevano intorno… 20 anni, 21 anni. Gli altri circa lì insomma, 20, 22, 23. -
There was one of us who was 28, who was married and father of a one-year old child.
There was one of us who was 28, who was married and father of a one-year old child.
Ce n’era uno di 28 anni che lui aveva… era sposato con un bambino di un anno,