26 “These were times when life” Gino Bartali with Romano Beghelli and Marcello Lazzerini, La leggenda di Bartali (Firenze: Ponte Alle Grazie Editori, 1992), 125.
27 “an insane Minotaur,” “the Himmler of Italy” David Tutaev consulted the private letters and papers of the consul of Florence during World War II for his account of Major Mario Carità in The Consul of Florence (London: Secker & Warburg), 67–68.
28 “The close-carpeted corridors” Tutaev, The Consul of Florence, 126–27.
29 “a sinister place that aroused terror” Bartali, La leggenda, 124.
30 How will I ever get out of here? Bartali, La leggenda, 124; Bartali as quoted in Turrini, Bartali, 72.
31 Torture techniques used in Villa Triste Tutaev, The Consul of Florence, 76–78, 126–128. 151 he fired his revolver Ibid., 76
32 “Neapolitan songs and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony” Ibid., 74–75.
33 “thick whips, rods of steel, pincers, manacles” Ibid., 127, 128.
34 “froglike mouth,” and “hooded eyelids” Ibid., 68.
35 Conversation between Carità and Gino Bartali, La mia storia, 57–58; Bartali, La leggenda, 124; Paolo Alberati, Mille diavoli, 20. 154 “If Bartali says” Comments by Olesindo Salmi in Bartali, La leggenda, 124.
36 Description of Olesindo Salmi photo of Olesindo Salmi (also known as “Selmi”) in Riccardo Caporale, La “Banda Carità”: Storia del Reparto Servizi Speciali (1943–1945) (Lucca: Edizioni S. Marco Litotipo, 2005), 397.
37 now living in downtown Florence Bartali, La leggenda, 124.
38 Destruction of Florence as the Germans withdrew Tutaev, The Consul of Florence, 203–4; Casella, The European War, 229; Carlo Francovich, La Resistenza in Firenze, A cura di Carlo Francovich e Giovanni Verni (Firenze: La nuova Italia, 1969), 253; Marcolin, Firenze 1943–’45, 72.
39 ordered to evacuate their homes Casella, The European War, 234.
40 the famed Pitti Palace Tutaev, The Consul of Florence, 225.
41 “It is as if a cross-section of London’s population” Ibid., 255.
42 “From this moment on” Casella, The European War, 236–37.
43 “The sky toward the Palazzo Pitti” Diary entries of Miss Gladys Hutton as cited by David Tutaev, The Consul of Florence, 240.
44 “What is it, Papà?” Author interview with Andrea Bartali, July 17, 2009.
45 A huge load of explosives Marcolin, Firenze 1943–’45, 75.
46 “the most artistic one” Tutaev, The Consul of Florence, 245; Marcolin, Firenze 1943–’45, 50.
47 “The spectacle of Florence was devastating” Bartali, La leggenda, 124.
48 The stillborn son Bartali, La mia storia, 58; Bartali, La leggenda, 119; author interview with Andrea Bartali, September 14, 2009.
49 The scene near Campo di Marte Tutaev, Consul of Florence, 225.
50 The houses in the neighborhood nearby Marcolin, Firenze 1943–’45, 51.
51 Gino and Adriana consoled Author interview with Andrea Bartali, September 14, 2009.
52 the first Allied tanks Marcolin, Firenze 1943–’45, 74, 80.
53 “Gli inglesi son arrivati!” Author interview with Giorgio Goldenberg, January 25, 2011.
54 “My heart seemed to want to burst” Cassella, The European War, 249.
55 “God Save the King” Ramati, The Assisi Underground, 170.
56 “The Jews of Italy have Italian blood” Ibid., 171.
57 an estimated 330 Jews had been saved The 330 Jews saved in Florence by the efforts of Cardinal Dalla Costa and his associates included 110 Italian and 220 Foreign Jews. Susan Zuccotti, Under His Very Windows: The Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000), 253.
58 three hundred Jews had been saved in Assisi and Perugia Estimates vary for the number of Jews saved in Assisi. Of a range of 100, 200, and 300, we have chosen the middle ground of 200. One survivor, Graziella Viterbi, put the number at 100 (Zuccotti, Under His Very Windows, 386.) Father Brunacci, a member of the network, put the number at 200 (Zuccotti, Under His Very Windows, 386). Father Niccacci put the number at 300 (Ramati, The Assisi Underground, 173.) In Perugia, 100 Jews were saved (Susan Zuccotti, The Italians and the Holocaust: Persecution, Rescue, and Survival [New York: Basic Books, 1987] 215). While no final figures exist on how many Jews in other parts of Italy benefited from the blank false identity documents created on Brizi’s press, it is worth noting that as a foot-powered printing press that could also be powered by electricity, it was capable of printing hundreds of documents in short order. Enrico Maionica, one of the key members in the networks, said many of the false identity documents he created went to additional cities including Genoa and Rome (USC interview with Maionica).
59 In little more than eighteen months Zuccotti, Under His Very Windows, 324; Zuccotti, The Italians, xvii.
60 a record of how many identity documents Gino carried The precise number of photos and false identity documents carried by Gino remains unknown. Sister Alfonisna (who is now deceased) told author Paolo Alberati that she estimated that Gino had come through her convent about forty times. Nevertheless, given the amorphous and secretive nature of the network, and the fact that there were other couriers, it’s likely that we will never know the full extent of Gino’s work.
61 corpses of Mussolini and one of his lovers Bartali, La leggenda, 129; Ray Mosely, Mussolini: The last 600 days of il Duce (Lanham, MD: Taylor, 2004), 312–19; Alberati, Mille diavoli, 97–98; Carlo Maria Lomartire, Insurrezione: 14 luglio 1948 (Milano: Mondadori, 2006), 140–43.
62 “It was an obscene spectacle” Bartali as quoted in Turrini, Bartali, 78.
63 This is not the Italy I dreamed of for myself Ibid.
PART III
CHAPTER 10. GINETTACCIO
1 “What we had earned” Gino Bartali, Tutto sbagliato, tutto da rifare (Milano: Mondadori, 1979), 80.
2 “I think that all that time” Bartali, Ibid.,76.
3 “He taught me that poverty” Marc Dewinter, “Gino the Pious,” Cycle Sport, July 1999: 40.
4 “like clowns in a traveling circus” Bartali as quoted in Paolo Alberati, Gino Bartali: Mille diavoli in corpo (Firenze: Giunti, 2006), 97.
5 “The triumphant years” Bartali, Tutto sbagliato, 77.
6 Haphazard races and unusual prizes William Fotheringham, Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi (London: Yellow Jersey Press, 2009), chapter 4.
7 “We were all really hard up” Bartali, Tutto sbagliato, 79.
8 “I ended up completely demoralized” Gino Bartali with Mario Pancera, La mia storia (Milano: Stampa Sportiva, 1958), 62.
9 “Then I found my strength again” Ibid.
10 “the inseparable companion of the peasant” Bruno Roghi in a 1946 column in La Gazzetta Dello Sport as quoted in Forgacs and Gundle, Mass Culture and Italian Society from Fascism to the Cold War (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008), 13–14.
11 Car cost in 1948 Ibid., 13. Forgacs and Gundle note that the “cheapest car, the Fiat Topolino 500B, launched in 1948, when the average wage was 139,000 lire, cost 650,000 lire.”
12 3.5 million bikes and 184,000 cars in 1947 Ibid.
13 Rita Hayworth’s support for Gino “Oggi il Tour parte da Parigi. Rita Hayworth e Tito Schipa, intervistati, danno favorito Bartali. Le ire de Hedy Lamarr,” Il Tirreno, June 30, 1948: 1.
14 Gino was also a Hayworth fan Gino Bartali with Romano Beghelli and Marcello Lazzerini, La leggenda di Bartali (Firenze: Ponte Alle Grazie Editori, 1992), 170.
15 Severity of bike theft in Italy Author interview with President Oscar Scalfaro, October 7, 2009.
16 Six hundred thousand agricultural day laborers Paul Ginsborg, A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics, 1943–1988 (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 114.
17 Italian gas shortages “Benzina a 118 lire,” Il Tirreno, June 16, 1948: 1.
18 Unemployment rate of over sixty percent in 1948 “Due milioni e mezzo i disoccupati in Italia,” Il Tir
reno, June 24, 1948: 4.
19 “half-naked children crowded together” H. W. Heinsheimer, “Le Tour de France,” Holiday, July 1949: 78.
20 750,000 Italians working abroad Benjo Maso, Wir Alle Waren Götter: Die berühmte Tour de France von 1948 (Bielefeld: Covadonga Verlag, 2006), 275–76.
21 “utterly honest and sincere” and “Italy’s most brilliant politician” Emmet Hughes, “Pre-election Report on Italy,” Life, April 12, 1948: 31–32.
22 De Gasperi friendship with Gino Bartali, La leggenda, 198.
23 “influence the course of European history” Hughes, “Pre-election report on Italy,” 29.
24 “Now I didn’t have the worry about the authorities” Bartali, La mia storia, 63.
25 “Yes, I had become Ginettaccio” Ibid., 65.
26 “I was slow to get in gear” Ibid., 63.
27 Espresso coffee consumption Fotheringham, Fallen Angel, 102.
28 “The cigarette that I had avoided” Gino Bartali, “Qui giace il campione fra la polvere,” Tempo, December 20, 1952: 17. Alfredo Martini, a teammate of Gino’s who was often charged with fetching cigarettes for Gino from fans, put it bluntly, saying, “Gino smoked, and he smoked a lot, especially after the war when he was at his strongest.”
29 “more of a life of a normal person” Giovanni Corrieri interview in Alberati, Mille diavoli, 120.
30 Gino training at nighttime Author interview with Adriana Bartali, August 3, 2009.
31 Gino’s training regimen See Gino’s autobiographies La mia storia and Tutto sbagliato for a wide-ranging discussion of his training methods. See also the interviews with Gino in the documentary Fausto Coppi Story—‘Il Campionissimo,’ Part 1 (Bromley Video, 2000).
32 Importance of rest days for older racers Author interview with Dr. Massimo Testa, a physician and exercise physiologist, April 15, 2010.
33 explosive, top-end, ability for hard accelerations Author interview with Chris Carmichael, a coach of contemporary Tour cyclists, April 27, 2010; author interview with Dr. Massimo Testa.
34 muscular endurance improves Author interview with Dr. Massimo Testa.
35 Effectiveness of shorter and more intensive rides Author interview with Dr. Massimo Testa; author interview with Chris Carmichael.
36 “total glory for the winner” Gianni Granzotto, “Bartali vinse Marie,” L’Europeo, August 2–8, 1948: 3.
37 anti-Catholic slur The heckler called Gino a “lying priest.” Paolo Costa, Gino Bartali: la vita, le imprese, le polemiche (Portogruaro: Ediciclo Editore, 2001), 82.
38 Gino used to mobilize support for Christian Democrats Stefano Pivato, “Italian Cycling and the Creation of a Catholic Hero: The Bartali Myth,” in European Heroes: Myth, Identity, Sport, edited by Richard Holt, J. A. Mangan, and Pierre Lanfranchi (London: Frank Cass, 1996), 135.
39 “De Gasperi on a bike” Indro Montanelli, “Il De Gasperi del ciclismo,” Corriere della Sera, June 11, 1947.
40 “With a crushed face and not at all handsome” Ibid.
41 Gino offered spot on the electoral list for deputies John Foot, Pedalare! Pedalare! (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), 129.
42 Pope Pius XII citing Bartali Discorsi e Radiomessaggi di Sua Santità Pio XII, IX, Nono anno di Pontificato, 2 marzo 1947–1 marzo 1948, Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 213–20, Translation from Foot, Pedalare! 128.
43 “unmistakable” and “ready to struggle for their faith” Pivato, “Italian Cycling and the Creation of a Catholic Hero,” 134.
44 Catholic Action outreach to voters “The Nations: How to Hang On,” Time, April 19, 1948: 6.
45 moral suasion campaign Interview with Father Lucio Migliaccio, a clergy leader of one of these campaigns, in CNN Cold War documentary series: Episode 3, “Marshall Plan (1947–1951),” released November 10, 1998.
46 American involvement in Italian elections Beyond general political histories of the era, we consulted the CNN Cold War documentary series, which features interviews with different key figures, and Tim Weiner’s Legacy of Ashes: The History of the Central Intelligence Agency (New York: Doubleday, 2007).
47 “covert psychological operations designed” National Security Council Order as quoted in Weiner, Legacy of Ashes, 29.
48 “illegal from the start” CIA Agent F. Mark Wyatt as quoted in Weiner, Legacy of Ashes, 30.
49 “into the bank accounts” Ibid., 30–31.
50 “Donors were instructed” Ibid.
51 10 million dollars of cash Ibid.
52 Money in black suitcases at Hassler Hotel “F. Mark Wyatt, 86, C.I.A. Officer, Is Dead,” New York Times, July 6, 2006.
53 “We would have liked” Weiner, Legacy of Ashes, 30–31.
54 Reporter’s estimate of Russian aid Hughes, “Pre-election report on Italy,” 32.
55 “a sort of European Wisconsin” Ibid., 29.
56 “cloven foot of the devil” Ginsborg, A History of Contemporary Italy, 118.
57 smearing De Gasperi as a Fascist “Togliatti profetizza per De Gasperi la fine di Mussolini e di Hitler,” Il Tirreno, February 19, 1948: 1.
58 death threat to De Gasperi Ibid.
59 Lloyd’s of London offering odds on event “De Gasperi a un terzo e Togliatti alla pari,” Il Tirreno, March 16, 1948.
60 “Italy Picks Uncles Today” New York Daily News as quoted in “Italy: Victory,” Time, April 26, 1948.
61 “How do we feel?” Hughes, “Pre-election report on Italy,” 33.
62 “With sincere thanks I underline” The poster version of the telegram is photographed and reproduced in Bartali, La leggenda, 197.
63 “bedroom strike” and details about parliamentary fight “Italy: Yes, Petkoff,” Time, June 21, 1948; Arnaldo Cortesi, “Italian Deputies Battered in Fight,” New York Times, June 10, 1948: 13; “Fighting Stirs Rome Chamber,” Washington Post, June 10, 1948: 2.
64 “You Communists find your recruits” Cortesi, “Italian Deputies Battered in Fight,” 13.
65 “the worst fight in parliamentary history” Ibid.
66 Plan to shorten deputies’ summer holidays “Il piano Fanfani abbrevia le vacanze agli onorevoli: Discussione immediata e gratifica in salvo,” Il Tirreno, July 11, 1948; 1.
67 Results of vote where Coppi gets 21 votes and Bartali, 1 “Fausto Coppi a apporté à l’U.V. Italienne le Trophée international Edmond Gentil!” L’Équipe, February 6, 1948: 1.
68 “Italy’s greatest cyclist” “Ce succès es pour moi le plus beau … fait répondre Coppi à Guido Giardini,” L’Équipe, February 6, 1948: 2.
CHAPTER 11. LES MACARONI
1 “Lots of discussion” Gino Bartali, Tutto sbagliato, tutto da rifare (Milano: Mondadori, 1979), 134.
2 “I would really like to compete” “ ‘Je veux faire le Tour de France mais si je suis opposé et non allié à Bartali’ declare Fausto Coppi,” L’Équipe, May 4, 1948: 1.
3 Coppi’s refusal to race with Gino Ibid.
4 “Ten years have passed—that’s a lot” Carlo Maria Lomartire, Insurrezione: 14 luglio 1948 (Milan: Mondadori, 2006), 145.
5 “nothing but the Tour” Guido Giardini, “Guido Giardini téléphone de Milan: L’Italie ne pense qu’au Tour 48 et … espère!” L’Équipe, June 19–20, 1948.
6 Italian newspapers’ pessimism and number of international reporters Benjo Maso, Wir Alle Waren Götter: Die berühmte Tour de France von 1948 (Bielefeld: Covadonga Verlag, 2006), 38.
7 les Macaroni Piero Monti, “Bartali ha vinto il Giro di Francia. Corrieri è primo sul traguardo di Parigi,” Il Tirreno, July 26, 1948: 1.
8 “Papà, what gave you the idea” Paul Guitard, “Leçon des Hommes et L’Ecole des Femmes,” L’Équipe, July 18, 1948: 4.
9 Final training and trip to France Albert de Wetter, “Pas de ‘Tour de Suisse Pour Gino,’ ” L’Équipe, May 20, 1948: 2–3; G.Bollini, “Bartali joue au modeste et affirme ne souhaiter que de … terminer,” L’Équipe, June 26–27, 1948: 4; “Bartali n’avait pu fermer l’oeil de la nuit,” L’Équipe, Jun
e 28, 1948: 4; Maso, Wir Alle Waren Götter, 38–39.
10 Early postwar Tour planning and slate of international characters Author interview with Aldo Ronconi and son, August 20, 2009; Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Le Tour: A History of the Tour de France, 1903–2003 (London: Simon and Schuster, 2005), 141; Maso, Wir Alle Waren Götter, 13, 15, 18, 227.
11 “These detractors” Pierre Bourrillon, “Jean Robic vainqueur du Tour de France 1947 retenu pour le ‘Tour,’ ” L’Équipe, April 9, 1948: 1.
12 “the Emancipated Slave” Claude Tillet, “Ronconi L’Esclave Affranchi,” L’Équipe, June 23, 1948: 4.
13 Ronconi’s background Author interview with Aldo Ronconi, August 20, 2009; Albert de Wetter, “Ronconi veut égaler Bartali et gagner …” L’Équipe, March 5, 1948: 1–2.
14 “After the Tour” Ibid.
15 “without wine, the Tour” Victor Peroni, “Le ventre du Tour,” Le Miroir Sprint: Numéro Special, June 1948: 9.
16 Tour provisions “Le Tour … A L’Envers,” L’Équipe, June 19–20, 1948: 4; R. Bastide, “Quelques chiffres sur le ‘Tour,’ ” L’Équipe, June 11, 1948: 2.
17 Caravan description H. W. Heinsheimer, “Le Tour de France,” Holiday, July 1949, 82 (Although this article was published in 1949, it is exclusively about the author’s experience attending the 1948 Tour); “La caravane va passer,” L’Équipe, June 22, 1948: 3.
18 “After the Match” cologne “Une Declaration de Fachleitner” (advertisement), L’Équipe, May 3, 1948: 6.
19 “game for children” DDT Advertisement, Il Tirreno, July 18, 1948: 4.
20 Towns paying for privilege to host Tour Christopher Thomson, The Tour de France: A Cultural History (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006), 83–85.
21 Hedy Lamarr “Oggi il Tour parte da Parigi. Rita Hayworth e Tito Schipa, intervistati, danno favorito Bartali. Le ire de Hedy Lamarr,” Il Tirreno, June 30, 1948: 1.
22 Vichy regime defendant trial anecdote Maso, Wir Alle Waren Götter, 127.
23 Pierrot Le Fou and escape plan Raymond Vanker, “Douze Policiers armés ont cherché hier ‘Pierrot le Fou’ au passage d’Auteuil,” L’Intransigeant, July 13, 1948: 1.
Road to Valour Page 32
