Football fans remember the 1944 Northern Italian championship, at the height of the war, where it was difficult to organize travel and where, certainly, the priorities were different, but football could also help to defuse the drama that was being experienced. In 1944, several clubs, to avoid calling up their players to arms, made the decision to move the players to non-sporting realities, so that the commitment of work, necessary for the war, could safeguard them.
Among these, the best known is certainly the story of Spezia which in 1944 played as a team of the Fire Brigade and which, in an unpredictable way for some, after a championship with a thousand logistical difficulties, won the final round against Venezia and above all FC Torino , which already had the backbone of what would be the Grande Torino of 5 consecutive championships, stopped only by fate and the Superga disaster. The Fire Brigade of La Spezia won the championship against the team where the unforgettable Valentino Mazzola already played.
The president of that Spezia was Coriolano Perioli, his story must be told and not only from a sporting point of view, the solidarity sticker Celebrative Sticker #61 is dedicated to his memory.
Orazio Coriolano Perioli was one of the protagonists in the history of Spezia Calcio and the Resistance. Born in Arcola on 31 March 1894, together with his brothers he ran one of the most important port companies in the city. In 1941 he became president of the football team, making a big impact and purchasing players such as Eusebio Castigliano and Carlo Scarpato. In 1943, after the armistice, he allowed the team to be incorporated into the Fire Brigade, in order to prevent the players from being called up to arms, as other clubs would do.
That team would win the 1944 championship, for which an honorary title would be recognized posthumously. President Perioli was captured on 23 November 1944 for having supplied food to the partisan forces. On 2 February 1945 he was sent to the Mauthausen concentration camp and then to Gusen 2. He was killed on 30 April 1945 by beatings from a kapo.
The solidarity sticker is made possible thanks to the availability of Perioli’s granddaughter, Mrs. Gabriella Bartolozzi Bianchi. We thank Spezia Calcio and the Municipality of Arcola for their collaboration.
Thanks also to the journalist Armando Napoletano, fundamental in the search for contacts and information, author of the book that recounts the 1944 scudetto and the president who made the dream possible (“Lo scudetto dello Spezia” Edizioni Giacché, 2020). Thanks also to Elisa Fazio, daughter of Francesco, symbol of Spezia in the 80s and to the staff of Spezia Fantasy, who were also fundamental to the success of the initiative.
The print of the first edition numbered in 306 copies is intended as a small homage to the La Spezia club, with that final 06 which recalls the year of foundation, 1906.
TOGETHER for ANED!
With this solidarity sticker it will be possible to support the “Adotta con la Figurina” project where Figurine Forever engages annually in different solidarity projects and support the activities of ANED the National Association Ex Deported in the nazi camps (http://www.deportati.it/?lang=en); we strongly feel the need to keep the memory of what happened alive and daily, because it should never happen again. 150 copies were donated to Aned as our support to this important reality, for a total value of 750 euros
CORIOLANO PERIOLI
Celebrative Sticker 61 – Sticker + Folder
1st numberd edition 306 copies
Free offer starting from 7,00€
+ shipping (for Europe 10,00€)
4×3 with four different Celebrative
one is gift
How to contribute:
- Bank transfer:
Bank:Emil Banca – Credito Cooperativo
Branch:Borgo Panigale, Bologna Italia
IBAN:IT82 Y070 7202 4000 0000 0427 519
BIC:ICRAITRRTS0
For purchases by bank transfer, please always follow an email to figurineforever@gmail.com - Paypal to the address only figurineforever@gmail.com, with Paypal the price per card is € 1.00 more
- IN THE CAUSAL ALWAYS INSERT: WHICH CARD YOU WANT TO BUY AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR SHIPMENT, PLEASE BEFORE TO PAY ALWAYS POSTAGE COSTS FROM ITALY TO YOUR COUNTRY
- On Ebay https://www.ebay.it/str/figurineforeverofficial
AVAILABLE NOW!
(1st numbered edition 1-306, copies available 135/306)
the folders of the solidarity stickers are numbered, the number you receive is random. The choice of the specific number is a pre-sale service only and only for the members of Figurine Forever
An unnumbered version was also printed, mainly used for distribution to institutions, schools, cultural and social realities as a method to raise awareness and always keep historical memory alive.
