Maiano Lavacchio massacre
The blackboard with the writing by Emanuele Matteini
Location	Maiano Lavacchio, Magliano in Toscana, Province of Grosseto, Italy
Date	22 March 1944
Target	Draft evaders
Attack type	Massacre
Deaths	11
Perpetrators	98ª Legione GNR, Squadra d'azione "Ettore Muti"

The Maiano Lavacchio massacre took place on 22 March 1944, in the small rural locality of Maiano Lavacchio, in the countryside between Grosseto and Magliano in Toscana, not far from the village of Istia d'Ombrone. By order of the prefect and Head of the Province of Grosseto, Alceo Ercolani, a division of the National Republican Guard, together with some squadristi and local fascist leaders, rounded up, summarily tried, and executed eleven young men who were deemed guilty of not reporting for conscription to the Italian Social Republic and therefore were wanted as deserters.

Following the armistice of 8 September 1943, a group of young men, who had not enlisted in the army of the Italian Social Republic, took refuge in the hilly area of Monte Bottigli near Istia d'Ombrone to escape the Republican fascist militias during the winter. The group was based on pacifist principles and did not even choose to join the partisans. From time to time, some of them would return to the village to stock up on essential supplies, with the support of local residents. ^[1]

Having learned of the presence of deserters in the countryside of Monte Bottigli, the prefect and Head of the Province, Alceo Ercolani, tasked a public safety officer, the Sicilian Lucio Raciti, with going to the nearby area of Maiano Lavacchio and infiltrating there to gather information. In this isolated area, there were several scattered farms (such as the Ariosti farm of the Biagi brothers, the La Sdriscia farm of the Matteini family, the Lavacchio farm of the Corsetti family, and the Appalto farm of Settimio Andrei and Teresa Biagi), which had become shelters for drifters and evacuees after the Allied bombings. On 19 March 1944, Raciti reached the Ariosti farm, pretending to be a veteran from the Russian campaign seeking shelter. He gained the trust of Angiolo Biagi, who introduced him to Mario Becucci, an evacuee from La Spezia who was wanted and seeking guidance to reach the huts in Monte Bottigli. Raciti spent the night at the Ariosti farm, sharing a room with Becucci, and the next day he left the farm to report the gathered information to Prefect Ercolani, who then initiated the roundup operations. ^[1]

The roundup was organized by Ercolani himself, along with the Republican Fascist Party's triumvir Silio Monti and the deputy police chief Liberale Scotti. It took place during the night of March 21-22 and was executed by a group of about 140 men. The operation covered the entire rural area between Istia d'Ombrone and Maiano Lavacchio and involved a column of the 98th Legion of the National Republican Guard, led by Lieutenant Vittorio Ciabatti, the "Ettore Muti" action squad, commanded by Captain Michele De Anna, a group of public safety officers led by Commissioners Sebastiano Scalone and Pompilio Lorenzini, and some Carabinieri from the Monteverde Group. They were also joined by a German Feldgendarmerie unit, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Müller, who had controlled the German armed forces in the province since 12 September 1943. The triumvir Monti and the prefectural commissioner of Grosseto, Inigo Pucini, were also present on the expedition. ^[2]

Upon arriving at the Ariosti farm, the militias looted the house and beat the occupants, forcing Adelmo Biagi and the two Sardinian draft dodgers, Giovanni Piria and Giovanni Careddu, who were hiding there, to lead them to the huts at Monte Bottigli. More violence occurred at the Appalto, Lavacchio, and La Sdriscia farms, where some of the militia remained on guard to prevent anyone from running to warn the young deserters. ^{[1] [3]}

At dawn on 22 March 1944, just before 6 AM, a group of eleven people was captured at the Monte Bottigli huts. A twelfth man, Günther Frielingsdorff, known as Gino, a deserter from the Wehrmacht, was with the eleven youths but managed to escape during a moment of distraction by the fascists. He later joined the Monte Bottigli partisan band. Immediately after the capture, the German soldiers present left the operation, considering it concluded. ^[2]

The group of fascists took the eleven young men, after beating them, to the Appalto farm in Maiano Lavacchio and began a summary trial in the local school. The duration of the " sham trial" was less than half an hour and ended with the death sentence for the eleven youths and the acquittal of the Sardinians Piria and Careddu, and Francesco Biagi and Ermenegildo Corsetti, who were charged with possession of rifles. The sentence was pronounced by the triumvir Silio Monti. Meanwhile, several alarmed people had reached the site, pleading for clemency for the youths, but were kept at a distance by the fascist militia. Dora Sandri, mother of the condemned Corrado and Emanuele Matteini, begged to be shot in place of her sons but was pushed away. ^[1]

The execution squad was led by Inigo Pucini, the prefectural commissioner of Grosseto, and included at least Michele De Anna, Alfredo Del Canto, Lucio Raciti, Armando Gori, and Mario Giannini. The execution took place at 9:10 AM, in front of a hedge located opposite the Appalto farm. ^{[2] [3]}

Shortly before being murdered, while awaiting the verdict in a classroom, Emanuele Matteini wrote with chalk on the blackboard the words: "Mom. Lele and Corrado, a kiss" (Mamma. Lele e Corrado, un bacio). The blackboard, with the writing still intact, was later moved to the mayor's office in the Town Hall of Grosseto, where it is displayed. ^{[1] [2]}

The eleven victims of the massacre are known as the "Martyrs of Istia" (martiri d'Istia), named after the village where many of them lived before evading military conscription. ^{[2] [3]}

• Mario Becucci, born on 4 June 1906, in La Spezia
• Antonio Brancati, born on 21 December 1920, in Catania
• Rino Ciattini, born on 7 November 1924, in Grosseto
• Alfiero Grazi, born on 26 August 1925, in Cinigiano
• Silvano Guidoni, born on 1 January 1924, in Istia d'Ombrone
• Corrado Matteini, born on 17 October 1920, in Istia d'Ombrone
• Emanuele Matteini, born on 12 December 1923, in Istia d'Ombrone
• Alcide Mignarri, born on 21 June 1924, in Istia d'Ombrone
• Alvaro Minucci, born on 16 October 1924, in Istia d'Ombrone
• Alfonso Passannanti, born on 28 September 1922, in Serre
• Attilio Sforzi, born on 7 February 1925, in Grosseto

The bodies of the victims were initially ordered to be buried in a mass grave on site, but under the insistence of the parish priest of Istia d'Ombrone, Father Omero Mugnaini, the eleven bodies were brought to Istia d'Ombrone, where the priest defied orders and gave them a proper burial in the village cemetery. According to some witnesses, the priest opposed the fascists by exclaiming, "You take care of the living, I'll take care of the dead". ^[4]

The successful outcome of the operation was well received by Prefect Ercolani, who expressed satisfaction and proposed rewards for the executors, describing the eleven draft evaders in an offical report as an "armed gang". ^[1]

"Penetrating the thick woods, Captain De Anna and Lieutenant Muller, along with their men, overcame many difficulties and managed to surprise the armed gang in their sleep. The fact that only one member of the gang managed to escape annihilation shows that the surprise was complete. The execution of the 11 individuals found with weapons highlighted the determination, coolness, and steadfast faith in fascism of all the leaders and members. Meanwhile, I express my deep appreciation and request the Commander of the G.N.R. to forward proposals for military valor awards for Captain De Anna, Lieutenant Muller, and anyone else deserving, along with the names of those members who particularly distinguished themselves, for a monetary reward."

However, the news of the massacre fueled unrest in the city, leading to indignation among the population. Consequently, there was an increase in draft evaders and young people joining the Resistance movement, with citizens becoming increasingly distrustful of the Republican fascist authorities. A division of the "Alta Maremma" partisan formation was named after Attilio Sforzi. ^[3] The massacre also caused discontent among the fascists themselves. On 26 April 1944, at the assembly of the Republican Fascist Party in Grosseto, Ercolani's actions and those of the high-ranking officials were harshly criticized by some members, who deemed the massacre a political suicide. Following the complaints, fascist Vezio Vecchio was arrested for twenty days on charges of defeatism. ^[2]

• List of massacres in Italy

• Corrado Barontini; Fausto Bucci (1995). A Monte Bottigli contro la guerra: dieci "ragazzi" un decoratore mazziniano e un disertore viennese. Grosseto: ANPI.
• Stefano Campagna; Adolfo Turbanti, eds. (2022). Antifascismo, guerra e resistenze in Maremma. Arcidosso: Effigi.
• Nicla Capitini Maccabruni (1985). La Maremma contro il nazifascismo. Grosseto: La Commerciale.
• Francesco Chioccon (1964). Resistenza e alleati in provincia di Grosseto. Florence: Irst.
• Marco Grilli (2014). Per noi il tempo s'è fermato all'alba. Storia dei martiri d'Istia. Arcidosso: Effigi.

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