European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

After all I had suffered, joining the Communist party meant

doing something for the vision I had developed.

I would also be doing something for my brother and to grant people a chance to live better.

I became a communist day by day, taking in the atmosphere around me.

At fifteen, I can’t say I was aware of what was going on.

Given my life, however, joining the Communist party was the natural answer.

There was no other solution, no doubts of any sort.

Education: news in the cattle shed, books

In the winter we used the cattle shed as our meeting place.

Friends could finally spend some time together.

Social and political activities took place in the cattle shed,

as well as love affairs, since boys and girls met there.

I would sneak in and day by day my curiosity would grow.

I was hearing everyday news,

but especially political discussions which were starting to take place at our house.

I began to hear that a lot of people didn’t agree with fascism.

The tone was always rather timid and veiled though.

Even a joke regarding the Duce could have got you in jail then.

I remember a story regarding a young man who was beaten