Arona in World War I - 1 In memory In 1998, I held up
The Simplon a fortnightly column to the history aronese. It was called
Antique - subtitled "Stories of the history of Arona" - and did not claim to offer something, but told through newspaper clippings, pictures, links, news of those episodes which are often scattered in the history of a small city. Unfortunately
text files have been lost in a crash of my old pc, and the only way to recover is to scan the printed (which, fortunately, I did ...). Not that do not.
The only text that you saved in memory - and then repeated in a notebook Aronese Cultural Circle of Gian Vincenzo Zorini Omodei - is as follows.
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1915 The 1915 opened with a debate at the national level rather than on between neutrality and the contributions and the government's position Salandra. Arona is organized dances, musical evenings, dinners and charities to help people in the south, hit by a major earthquake on January 13 had caused more than thirty thousand deaths.
Meanwhile, the continued construction of the new promenade, built and partly financed personally by the mayor, Earl
Tullo cantons Mamiani della Rovere.
In March, body as he took the possibility of a war in our country, Dr.
Luigi Negri, a hospital physician, and Dr.. Guido
Rattaggi , medical officer of our city held several conferences on assistance to be provided to the injured. Following Rattaggi began a course in health care: the lectures were held in City Hall, and the demonstrations at the hospital. Towards the beginning of May, the mayor Cantoni was called up (he was captain of artillery) and went to Alexandria, appointed an investigating judge at the Military Court, even when he was offered the chance to return to their job as mayor full-time, he refused saying it was very little effort compared to being at the front.
May 24 was declared war on Austria, an appeal launched on May 28 the Councillor old lace, for the building of an Executive Committee for the preparation of civil works, prompted protests of the two local newspapers, the 'Eco
Verbano and
Sempione, that despite the controversies that divided them, along complained of not having been involved in the initiative.
At a meeting of dr. Rattaggi with the nursing students on the evening of June 6, Pro Warrior Association was born, in order to send linen and basic provisions the soldiers involved in the field of Veneto and Trentino. Sheets were collected, stockings, but also fabrics from which to obtain clothing aronesi prepared by the women, and chocolate bars.
The Board, except for President and Vice Rattaggi Vanzina Achilles, was composed entirely of women, including an accountant, rare for its time. It is worthwhile quoting in full from a pamphlet given to the press in 1916, and containing a review of the association at 31 December 1915, how to pack the parcels, "
Each individual package must not exceed a weight of 1.500 kg (...) in bundles as well as clothing, paper, envelopes, pencils, soap, is added with thoughtful a religious medallion, prayer of the soldier, a card with a handwritten sentence directly to the mind and heart of the fighter . Contact
association was
Lydia Tesio, who was at work as a nurse at the hospital in Palmanova (Udine). The association was supported by the offerings of many citizens - for example the mayor donates his salary to the military, 500 lire per month - and the proceeds of a bank of small events such as charity and a conference organized by the girls of Bishop.
Gian Domenico Pini . Another initiative was to promote, at the railway station, the sale of patriotic emblems, flags, badges tricolor. At the end of 1915 had been collected by these means more than 15,400 pounds.
similar association was concerned with the support of families recalled that in many cases being left without livelihoods.
