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several rifles fell out. Not far off was a German patrol decision to hide a small metal saw in his boots that
who would have certainly saw to shooting him on the would have, he thought, helped him, in the case that he
spot if a few passers-by, who immediately saw what was found himself on a train bound for Germany. He
happening, hadn’t come to his aid and helped him counted on the fact that, in a voyage of thirty or forty
hurriedly hide the rifles in the broken sacs and he made hours, that saw could offer him, and other prisoners
it back without further incident to the warehouse at who might be with him, a possible escape route.
Villa Ferroni. The warehouse continued to be used as Fortunately, he never had to test that improbable
a hiding place up to the moment that the order came theory, but he always carried that saw with him for two
to destroy the bridges in Florence. Consequently, all the entire years.The risk of being sequestered and deported
palazzos and houses within one hundred meters of the to work in Germany, in a concentration camp, was
bridges needed to be evacuated. The ceramics and the quite real in particular for a young man, like himself,
weapons were then moved to Via Lanzi where new who was an active participant in the partisan fight and
hiding places were found. often found himself in very dangerous situations and
Another activity that Fantoni helped his father places.
with,after September 8,1943,was helping soldiers who Aside from his tasks of finding and supplying
had escaped from prison, offering them save haven and ammunitions to the fighter and helping fleeing ex-
trying to connect them with the allies in the south, in prisoners, Marcello Fantoni was head of a partisan
the Maremma region.A memory indelibly impressed in squad, all of whom he recruited himself. In the face of
Fantoni mind is when, at his home in Paterno, near the imminent passing of the front through Florence,
Vaglia ( not far from a small concentration camp) they Fantoni was able to gather together about fifty young
gave refuge to three South African officers, W.B. men, whom he personally knew ( and he knew well
Steward, lieutenant Jack Selikman and Capitan Mc what political ideas they held) asking them if they
Cardle, and a Scottish parachutist named George. He would be willing to participate, as Liberals, in the fight
remembers it particularly because one of them, as soon for Liberation. There was a firm desire not to be
as they entered at the house with their rescuers, excluded from the fighting, and so, for this reason,
immediately asked if they was a bathroom so he could Fantoni’s group accepted to be in charge of the part of
have a shave. He said in fact that he could not present the city that stretches from San Marco’s Square up to
himself at dinner in the presence of a lady (in fact the entrance of the city on the north side. It was a very
Fantoni’s mother was there) in the condition in which, important strategic point along one of the principle
and one can well imagine, he found himself. This entrance ways into the city that the young Liberals
elegance and refinement, in such a desperate would have to patrol with the aim of blocking the
circumstance, remains for its uniqueness particularly German tanks’ route. They had little in the way of
dear to Fantoni. The photo taken before they left, on ammunitions and Fantoni was the only one of them
the balcony of their house together with Beatrice who had a more powerful weapon: a machine gun, a
Fantoni, helps him to recall those haggard and tired German twenty round “mechanical pistol”. The others
faces that yet revealed the hopes of reaching the allied had only rifles that could shoot a maximum of four
army and then, finally, returning home. rounds. In addition to this, they were all without
Other officers, but also enlisted men and young experience. Fantoni, being a hunter, did know how to
deserters found safe haven in their house in Paterno. use a rifle but, not having done his military service, he
Some of these, in dire condition, received medical care. really know nothing about weapons or ammunitions.
Once they were able to travel, Fantoni dressed them in Nevertheless, he and his companions stayed at their
what every clothes he could find and took them to the posts and unfortunately suffered one loss:the young son
SITA bus that went to the Maremma. He advised them of the kiln operator, a man who , after the war, would
not to utter a word to anyone, to not reveal that they work in Fantoni’s factory. The greatest danger was
were foreigners, for the ever present fear that there being attacked from behind by Fascist sharpshooters
might be spies who could compromise their lives and stationed on the surrounding roofs who were
the clandestine activity. protecting the advance of the German rearguard.
The fear of police roundups was ever present It was the summer of 1944, and the rounding up
during the war years for Fantoni. He remembers one and the persecution of the Jews by the Nazi-fascists was
day when, by a miracle, he was able to flee a roundup rallying toward its tragic end. Eugenio Artom’s family
near the train station because he heard several people ( sought by the police because of his political and
shouting that the Germans were deporting some young military activities,as he was a member of the Liberation
men: he was in the last underpass and so began to run Committee, and because of their Jewish origins) found
as fast as he possibly could and was thus able to avoid themselves, in those months, in an extremely difficult
the danger. But, knowing and being afraid that he situation. They found safe haven in the Fantoni family’s
would not always be so lucky pushed him to make the apartment in Piazza della Vittoria. Eugenio Artom, with

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