European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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My name is Ulisse Gilioli, I was born on May 26th, 1921
My name is Ulisse Gilioli, I was born on May 26th, 1921
Mi chiamo Ulisse Gilioli, sono nato il 26 maggio 1921 -
a in Montecavolo near Quattro Castella (in the province of Reggio Emilia).
a in Montecavolo near Quattro Castella (in the province of Reggio Emilia).
a Montecavolo di Quattro Castella. -
My family had been a miller family
My family had been a miller family
La mia famiglia era gente di mulino, -
for over 400 years.
for over 400 years.
erano dei mugnai da oltre 400 anni. -
In 1929 there was a terrible crisis and my father lost a great deal of money,
In 1929 there was a terrible crisis and my father lost a great deal of money,
Nel 1929 ci fu una crisi terribile e mio padre perse tanti di quei soldi… -
mostly because he was a great friend of the parson.
mostly because he was a great friend of the parson.
Soprattutto perché era molto amico del parroco -
He had 12 or 14 sharecroppers working for him, so he was really rich,
He had 12 or 14 sharecroppers working for him, so he was really rich,
che aveva 12 o 14, allora li chiamavamo “mezzadri”, quindi ricchissimo, -
and they could not pay him any longer
and they could not pay him any longer
che non potevano pagare però la roba -
with the stuff they used to bring to the mill.
with the stuff they used to bring to the mill.
che portavano al mulino o che venivano a prendere al mulino. -
“Keep calm, you'll see that one day god will ...”
“Keep calm, you'll see that one day god will ...”
“Ma porti pazienza, vedrai che verrà un giorno che Dio…” -
So they kept taking credits, but the day came when my father lost a lot of money.
So they kept taking credits, but the day came when my father lost a lot of money.
Insomma è venuto il giorno in cui mio padre ha perso tanti di quei soldi: -
That was when we split up. Me and my brother Portos were both students,
That was when we split up. Me and my brother Portos were both students,
allora ci dividemmo. Io studiavo, un altro mio fratello, “Portos”, studiava: -
so we went to Montecchio,
so we went to Montecchio,
così siamo andati a finire a Montecchio -
at Montecchio we owned a nice little house.
at Montecchio we owned a nice little house.
e a Montecchio avevamo una casetta anche buona -
It had already started ...
It had already started ...
perché cominciava già quel eccetera eccetera. -
I was friends with the family of Jones Bertolini
I was friends with the family of Jones Bertolini
Io frequentavo molto la famiglia di Iones Bertolini -
who was a really passionate partisan, he got the silver medal,
who was a really passionate partisan, he got the silver medal,
che è stato un partigiano medaglia d’argento, -
that was when I became a communist. His mother was an anti-fascist,
that was when I became a communist. His mother was an anti-fascist,
uno sfegatato e lì ero diventato comunista perché la madre era antifascista, -
the father had to emigrate to France,
the father had to emigrate to France,
il papà era dovuto emigrare in Francia, -
they were really poor. I'd seen him only once
they were really poor. I'd seen him only once
non avevano niente poveretti: lo vidi una volta sola