Fernando Cavazzini

Fernando Cavazzini

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Short Biography

Fernando Cavazzini was born in Reggio Emilia on 23 September 1923. He still lives in Reggio. On 25 July 1943 he took part in public demonstrations in Reggio Emilia, demanding peace and celebrating the fall of the fascist regime. From then on he was involved in the antifascist struggle. After the 8th of September 1943 he assisted soldiers by providing them with plain clothes and helping them to flee. He later became a partisan and left for the mountains, joining the 26th Garibaldi Brigade “Enzo Bagnoli”. His battle name was “Tony”. He took part in the battle of Cerrè Sologno, in the Appennini mountains near Reggio, one of the most significant battles between the partisans of the mountains and fascists and Germans. He later became the head of a sapper unit called “Demonio”, that had to mine and blow up all the bridges in the Province of Reggio. After the war, he was awarded a Bronze Medal for Military Valour.