This is the third of four posts concerning the 2023 “Paths to Freedom” (Sentieri di Libertà) event in Servigliano, Italy. The event was a celebration of both the 80th anniversary of the Italian Armistice and the subsequent breakout of thousands of Allied POWs from camps across Italy—including camp PG 59 in Servigliano.

Read also “‘Paths to Freedom’—the First Day,” “‘Paths to Freedom’—the Second Day,” and “‘Paths to Freedom’—the Fourth Day.” 

“Paths to Freedom” (Sentieri di Libertà)—9 September 2023

In the morning, we travelled by bus and car to meet with the ELMS walkers in the village of Smerillo, where Marco Ercoli shared the story of his grandmother, Letizia Galiè in Del Gobbo, and the two American POWs from PG 59 whom she sheltered—and for whose descendants Marco is still searching.

See “A Haven in Smerillo.”

A 40-minute video was taken of the event in Smerillo; you can view it on YouTube. The video concerns the story of Letizia Galiè in Del Gobbo and the search for descendants of the POWs she sheltered.

Next we descended from the heights of Smerillo to the shores of lovely Lago San Ruffino for lunch at the Osteria del Lago. 

Again, the multiple-course meal was an absolute delight—and it seemed a particular indulgence at lunchtime.

As we finished the meal, Anne Copley introduced us to Luciana Sciamanna, the manager and main cook of the restaurant. Anne explained that Luciana was particularly pleased to have prepared this meal for us, as her father had been a prisoner of the Germans during the war.

A warm, sustained applause acknowledging Luciana’s family sorrow brought her to tears.

Following lunch, we again traveled to the heights—this time to the hilltop village of Monte San Martino, namesake of the Monte San Martino Trust.

We were honored to be invited to the private “Museum of the Contadino,” housed in the residence of Antonio Millozzi, a good friend of Keith Killby and the Trust’s representative in Italy.

Gianluca Vagnarelli, historian of contadino life and custodian of many oral interviews, described for us the mezzadria (sharecropping) system under which the Italian contadini labored for centuries.

After the talk, attenders strolled to nearby Largo James Keith Killby, a village square dedicated to the founder of the Monte San Martino Trust.

Events scheduled for the evening included a 20-minute documentary, Zella Mission, describing an evacuation by sea carried out by Italian fishermen and a talk by Giuseppe Millozzi regarding how news of the Armistice was received inside PG 59. Giuseppe is also currently translating into Italian the online memoirs of Paul Bullard, a prisoner in PG 53 who was subsequently sheltered by the Cardarelli family. 

Historian Filippo Ieranò talked about his book Antigone nella Valle del Tenna, a collection of interviews of local Italian helpers, an English translation of which was recently published by Monte San Martino Trust. Afterward Filippo was recognized with a plaque acknowledging his years of dedicated leadership and support for Casa della Memoria.

Also during the course of the evening Eric Hunt, U.S. Army Sergeant Major (retired), shared his ongoing research into the military history and colorful life of Manuel Serrano, known as “The Partisan of Brooklyn.”

Manuel was a PG 59 POW, partisan leader after his escape, and ultimately an actor with a successful lifelong career in film.

When I met Eric in 2019, he told me he had became interested in Manuel for a number of personal reasons: they were both paratroopers/pathfinders in the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, and they are both of Puerto Rican descent and from New York City. 

Eric knew a man who made a combat jump with Manuel as an Airborne Pathfinder. It seemed Eric and Manuel’s paths were crossing, and Eric was intrigued and wanted to learn more.

Manuel could not have hoped for a more well-matched and enthusiastic biographer.