Nicolini Giuseppe

Nicolini, Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Nicolini, Bishop of Assisi presided over a Committee of Assistance, which provided aid to hundreds of refugees from bombarded cities who found refuge in Assisi. Monsignor Nicolini used the hillside monasteries and convents In Assisi, where no Jew had ever been known to live, to also hide Jews from the Germans. Under his authority, even those religious institutions categorized as “clausura,” which were shut off from the world, were opened up to accommodate them, dressed as monks and nuns, in order to save their lives. Bishop Nicolini headed the underground movement in Perugia province that provided refuge to approximately 100 Jews within 26 monasteries in the town. The Committee for Assistance established a center for the collection of essential items, especially clothing, and a workshop was set up in the bishop’s residence, headed by Father Aldo Brunacci*. In addition to those who were hiding there, there were hundreds of Jews who passed through Assisi during those dark days. There they were provided with false identity cards bearing Christian names, which enabled them to survive in other cities. Among those helped by Nicolini were the Baruch, Viterbi and Kropf families. On December 6, 1977, Yad Vashem recognized Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Nicolini as Righteous Among the Nations.