Nave Giovanni & Mariangela (Rabbiosi)

Della Nave, Giovanni Della Nave-Rabbiosi, Mariangela Giovanni Della Nave lived in the small village of San Bello, near Sondrio with his wife Mariangela (née Rabbiosi). They were farmers who risked their lives and those of their three sons and one daughter to save Fischel and Rosalia Zimet, with their daughter Regina, b.1931. The Zimets were Jewish refugees from Leipzig who had settled in Milan in July 1939. They had stayed there until May 1940 and then moved to Bengazi, Libya, with other Jews in the hope of reaching Mandatory Palestine from there. The fact that Italy joined the war in June destroyed their plans. As alien citizens, they were deported to Italy where they were sent to the Ferramonti di Tarsia concentration camp. Later on, the family was allowed to leave the camp to be assigned to the villages of San Giovanni Bianco and Serina (Bergamo province), in northern Italy, to live in confino libero, i.e., under supervision and other restrictions. In November 1943, after the German invasion of Italy, the Zimet family felt trapped. They attempted to cross the border into Switzerland but failed and needed to change places all the time. One day, a local priest in Campovico, Luigi Del Nero, aware of their despair, suggested that they turn to the Della Nave family in San Bello. At first it was agreed they would stay under the Della Nave roof only a couple of days, but then, in their despair, the Zimets begged to prolong their stay. After a family consultation, the hosts agreed, notwithstanding the great risk. Giovanni Della Nave, in charge of maintenance at the local church, used to keep blocks of wood for heating in the cellar under the church, and he prepared exactly this location to hide the Zimet family. This, nonetheless, was risky for both parties since the entrance to the church cellar was from the wide piazza in front and this piazza dominated a very important bridge, the Ponte Di Ganda, the only passage across the Adda River. They, therefore,decided to shelter the Zimet family in their home. During all the time that the Zimets stayed under the Della Naves’ protection, they shared their meager food: milk from one cow and eggs from a few chickens as well as fruits and vegetables they gathered in the surrounding woods. Most of the time, they were all hungry. The three stayed under their roof from December 31, 1943 until April 25, 1945 and the Della Naves never expected any reward or compensation for their actions. After the war, the Zimet family left Italy and moved to Israel, but kept in touch with the Della Nave family by frequent visits. On July 23, 2002, Yad Vashem recognized Giovanni Della Nave and Mariangela Rabbiosi-Della Nave as Righteous Among the Nations.