Report on the refugees

the great story
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about great storyThis is a typed excerpt of the Board of Directors of Collegio della Guastalla to discuss the report written by the headmistress, Ms Lucilla Cicuta. She couldn’t avoid underlining the dramatic events causing some teachers and their families to look for a refuge at the Collegio. Due to the incursions of the allied armies they had been forced to leave their houses and to evacuate, also a seamstress, a servant and some family friends had been welcomed.

Collegio della Guastalla
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about Collegio GuastallaThe headmistress had to cope with another emergency which consisted in the fact that the soldiers were looking for available spaces. The Collegio enjoyed the principle of international immunity and Ms Cicuta strongly defended that kind of neuter position. She did not want to guest any troops even though she doubted the British aviators to respect this Decision. Furthermore she feared being accused of promiscuity very inconvenient for a female school. Unfortunately on the 23rd of March she had to give up: captain Attemberg of the Italian army asked for hospitality to the Collegio so as to spend a month there with his soldiers who were coping with bad weather conditions. When the situation got better the schools of the neighbourhood were confiscated by the Prefect.
The Local Education Superintendent visited the Collegio to verify the situation ; during his visit he was informed about an unpleasant event by the headmistress: three German drunk soldiers broke into the Collegio to steal flowers early in the morning. The headmistress also made the decision to host in her Collegio the lessons of the other neighbour schools, which was an advantage for the pupils who otherwise had to reach other areas of Monza. “ I believe you will all enjoy my decision because I feel that the more you have the more you should give. The Children of San Fruttuoso can’t be happier to join our Collegio and behave well”.

1943