This is an English Translation ( from Italian
) by Lou Zinsstag of Switzerland.
IT IS REPRINTED FROM THE DOMENICA DEL CORRIERE
DELLA SERA of JUNE 1962.
(EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION) - WHEN WE
ASKED OUR CORRESPONDENT, MR RENATO ALBANESE,
TO GO AND VISIT SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN ITALY WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN
UFOs,MR. ALBANESE LAUGHED OUT LOUD. BUT KNOWING IT IS ONE OF HIS
PROFESSIONAL DUTIES
TO FOLLOW THE TRACKS OF INTERESTING READER STORIES - EVEN IF THEY
SOUNDED
LIKE HALLUCINATION - ALBANESE MADE THE TRIP. WE EXPECTED HIM TO COME
BACK
STILL LAUGHING, STILL MAKING FUN OF THE UFO STORY, BUT HE RETURNED IN A
VERY DIFFERENT, VERY EARNEST MOOD. HE SEEMED
TO BE DEEPLY AFFECTED. "FRANKLY, I DON'T
KNOW WHAT TO SAY," HE SAID. "I HAVE HEARD SUCH AMAZING THINGS. IF
THOSE FLYING CONTRAPTIONS DO NOT
EXIST, THEN THERE IS A STILL MORE UNBELIEVABLE STRANGENESS BEHIND ALL
THlS".
ALBANESE'S INTERVIEW WITH THE MECHANIC
LUCIANO GALLI OF BOLOGNA, ITALY
GALLI IS A SIMPLE NORMAL MAN, 42 YEARS OLD, RATHER SMALL IN STATURE.
HE DOES NOT LOOK HIS AGE BECAUSE THE EXPRESSION OF HIS FACE IS SOMEWHAT
CHILDLIKE. HE IS SHORT-SIGHTED AND WEARS HIS GLASSES CONSTANTLY. GALLI IS
MARRIED AND HAS THREE CHILDREN. HIS FLAT IS SOMEWHERE NEAR THE VIA CASTIQLIONE.
I RECEIVED HIS ADDRESS THROUGH ALBERTO PEREGO AT ROIIE. GALLI IS A
MODEST MECHANIC AND HEAD OF A SMALL WORKSHOP. HIS FREE TIME IS SPENT IN
FISHING.
I HAD ARRIVED IN A RENTED CAR. WITHOUT FORMALITIES, GALLI TOOK
THE WHEEL AND DROVE ME WITH COMPETENCE TO THE SPOT WHERE HE HAD MET THE
UFO CRAFT. THIS HAD HAPPENED ON JULY 7TH, 1957. OUR CAR LEFT THE TOWN, WENT
AROUND SAN RUFFILLO AND FOLLOWED A SMALLER ROAD OVER A HILL. FROM THERE
WE CAME TO A RIDGE NAMED CROARA, 57 KM AWAY FROM BOLOGNA. WE LEFT THE CAR
AND WENT TO A LOWER GROUND. THE GROUND WAS SURROUNDED BY MUSKY ROCKS. HERE,
GALLI SAID, THE UFO AWAITED HIM, HOVERING ABOUT 2M ABOVE THE GROUND.
GALLI DESCRIBED THE COLOUR OF THE OBJECT AS SHINING GRAY. HIS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION REMINDED THIS INTERVIEWER MUCH OF GEORGE ADAMSKI'S
PHOTOS OF BELL-SHAPED CRAFT. YET, GALLI WAS READY TO TAKE AN OATH
THAT AT THE TIME OF HIS EXPERIENCE HE HAD NOT EVEN HEARD THE NAME OF ADAMSKI.
(IN FACT NO ONE KNEW ABOUT ADAMSKI'S SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AT THAT TIME IN ITALY,
WHOSE BOOKS WERE ONLY IN ENGLISH.)
LATER, IN ORDER TO MAKE
ME (ALBANESE) BELIEVE THAT HE WAS NOT TELLING FAIRY TALES HE WANTED TO SIGN
A DECLARATION: "I DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO SAY THAT I MADE UP THIS STORY
IN ORDER TO GAIN PUBLICITY OR MONEY. WHAT I HAVE TOLD IS THE NAKED TRUTH."
HERE ARE
THE PARTICULARS OF HIS STORY
ON JULY 7TH, GALLI LEFT HIS HOME AT 14:20 IN ORDER TO GO BACK TO WORK
AFTER LUNCH. AT THAT TIME HIS WORKSHOP WAS SITUATED IN A BLIND ALLEY
OFF VIA CASTIGLIONE. HE WAS NEARING THIS ALLEY WHEN SUDDENLY A BLACK CAR,
A FIAT 1100, STOPPED IN FRONT OF HIM. OUT STEPPED A RATHER TALL GENTLEMAN
OF THE DARK TYPE, WITH REGULAR FEATURES AND VERY DARK EYES. "HIS FACE
WAS OF THE KIND WHICH INVITES YOU TO BE FRIENDLY," GALLI SAID. THE
GENTLEMAN WORE A DOUBLE BUTTONED SUIT COMPLETE WITH COLLAR AND TIE, AND
HE SPOKE FLUENT ITALIAN. AT THE WHEEL OF THE CAR WAS ANOTHER MAN WITH
DELICATE FEATURES, HE WAS DRESSED IN A LIGHT COLOURED COSTUME; HE WORE NO
MOUSTACHE LIKE THE DARK ONE, AND HE NEVER SAID A WORD. "I KNEW THE
MAN WITH THE MOUSTACHE FROM SIGHT," GALLI EXPLAINED. "I HAD NOTICED
HIM SEVERAL TIMES IN TOWN, HE EVEN SEEMED TO FOLLOW ME ONCE, I REMEMBER,
I WALKED WITH A FRIEND THROUGH THE ARCADES OF VIA CASTIOILONE WHEN I SAW
THIS MAN AGAIN. AS ALWAYS HE LOOKED STRAIGHT INTO MY EYES AND THIS TIME
I WANTED TO ADDRESS HIM, BUT SUDDENLY HE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW.
NOW THIS VERY STRANGER WAS STANDING BEFORE ME, ASKING ME IF I REMEMBERED
HIM. I SAID YES. "WON'T YOU COME WITH US, HE ASKED." WHERE TO?
"HAVE CONFIDENCE, NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU."
GALLI TOOK A SEAT IN THEIR CAR AND RODE AWAY WITH THE TWO MEN. AT
14:30 HOURS THEY ARRIVED ON THE CROARA RIDGE. A ROUND UFO WAS AWAITING THEM.
FROM THE BOTTOM OF IT A METALLIC CYLINDER CAME OUT AND A KIND OF OPENING
APPEARED IN THIS CYLINDER. THROUGH IT GALLI ASCENDED INTO THE SHIP.
GALLI, WHO IN THE BEGINNING HAD BEEN AFRAID, FELT CALM AGAIN AS SOON
AS HE WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. HE WAS NOT YET COMPLETELY IN IT WHEN TWO LIGHTS
FLASHED UP. "DON'T BE AFRAID, SAID THE MAN WITH THE MOUSTACHE, YOU
ARE ONLY BEING PHOTOGRAPHED."
"WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES DID YOU WEAR THAT DAY?" ALBANESE ASKED
"EXACTLY THE SAME AS NOW, MY WORKING OVERALLS," WAS THE ANSWER.
"AND WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE INTERIOR OF THE SHIP?"
"THE PILOT'S CABIN WAS SPACIOUS AND ROUND WITH A LOT OF
INSTRUMENTS AROUND, PANELS WITH MANY LIGHTS. THERE WERE ALSO HATCHES, AND
THE SEATS WERE FIXED SOMEHOW TO THE FLOOR. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR WAS
A KIND OF CIRCULAR WINDOW, ABOUT ONE METER WIDE. THROUGH IT WE COULD SEE
THE EARTH FALL AWAY FROM US. FIRST THE EARTH LOOKED LIKE (FROM)
ONE OF OUR OWN PLANES, THEN - WHEN WE WERE ALREADY IN THE DARK ZONE - SHE
LOOKED LIKE THE MOON AND LATER LIKE VENUS OR MARS."
"WERE YOU ABLE TO TALK TO THE MAN YOU CALLED COMMANDER?"
"YES, VERY WELL. HE SPOKE A PERFECT ITALIAN. I ASKED HIM HOW HE HAD
MANAGED TO LEARN OUR LANGUAGE SO WELL. HE ANSWERED THAT HE HAD USED A VERY
GOOD METHOD."
SUDDENLY GALLI DISCOVERED THROUGH A HATCH THE SILHOUETTE OF AN ENORMOUS
DIRIGIBLE. ITS LENGTH WAS AT LEAST 600 METERS. THE ONE END WAS CUT
LIKE THE END OF A CIGAR. THIS HUGE SHIP EMITTED PHOSPHORUS LIGHT AND ON
TOP OF THAT IT LOOKED AS IF STRONG LIGHT BEAMS WERE DIRECTED TOWARD IT.
UNDERNEATH THE CUT END, SIX OPENINGS CAME INTO VIEW, OUT OF WHICH AND INTO
WHICH SMALL FLYING DISKS WERE SEEN COMING AND GOING. (THESE WERE NO
DOUBT REMOTE-CONTROLLED DRONES.) EVERY OPENING WAS DIVIDED BY A PARTITION
WALL INTO SIX SMALLER CUBICLES, EVERYONE WIDE OPEN. THIS IS ONE OF OUR SPACESHIPS,"
GALLI'S COMPANION SAID. "WE HAVE MANY OTHERS."
NOW GALLI GAVE A DESCRIPTION OF SUCH UNHEARD OF DETAILS INSIDE
THE CIGAR-SHAPED CRAFT THAT HE HAS TO TAKE OVER THE WHOLE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR IT. HE SAID THAT WHEN COMING NEARER TO THE SHIP THEY SAW THAT THE OPENING
WERE BIG HANGERS, CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING AT LEAST 5O SMALLER SAUCER-SHAPED
CRAFT. NO LESS THAN 400 TO 500 PEOPLE WERE STANDING AND WALKING AROUND IN
THE HANGERS - BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. THIS IS WHAT GALLI SAID ON OATH.
ALL THOSE PEOPLE WORE CLOTHES OF A SHINING PLASTIC OR SILKY MATERIAL.
WHEN THEY PASSED BY HIM, THEY SMILED. THE WOMEN WERE VERY BEAUTIFUL AND
FRIENDLY. GALLI ASKED HIS COMPANION, SPELL-BOUND, FROM WHERE CAME THIS SHIP.
"FROM A BASE NEAR THE PLANET YOU CALL VENUS," WAS THE ANSWER.
LATER ON GALLI WAS SHOWN THROUGH A BIG HALL, A KIND OF LIBRARY, INTO
ANOTHER BIG ROOM WHICH HE TOOK FOR THE COMMANDER'S AREA.
SOME TIME AFTERWARDS HE WAS SHOWN BACK TO ONE OF THE HANGERS
AND INTO THE SAME SCOUT CRAFT, ALWAYS IN THE COMPANY OF THE MAN WITH THE
MOUSTACHE AND A FACE LIKE AN ANGEL IN PLAIN CLOTHES. HE WAS BROUGHT BACK
TO THE VERY SPOT NEAR CROARA RIDGE. "MY TRIP BEGAN AT 14:30 HOURS OF
JULY 7TH AND ENDED ABOUT 17:20 HOURS OF THE SAME DAY, SAME MONTH, SAME YEAR.
THE WHOLE TRIP WAS COMPLETED IN THREE HOURS AND TEN MINUTES."
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS FANTASTIC INTERVIEW THE JOURNALIST ASKED
GALLI IF HE WAS SURE THAT THOSE THINGS HAD NOT HAPPENED TO HIM WHILE IN
TRANCE OR UNDER HYPNOSIS. "I HAVE NEVER BEEN HYPNOTISED," HE ANSWERED.
"I TOOK THIS TRIP IN MY PHYSICAL BODY, THIS IS INDEED SO. WHAT
I SAY IS NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH." - LUCIANO GALLI - ITALY
