Bertoglio Francesco

Bertoglio, Francesco Following the great manhunt of Rome’s Jews on October 16, 1943, Giovanni Astrologo (b. 1922) sought sanctuary in the Catholic Seminar Pontificio Seminario Lombardo, together with over 60 other Jewish refugees. The seminar rector, Monsignor Francesco Bertoglio, was a sensitive human being. He was very kind to his Jewish charges, and removed the Catholic artifacts from the walls of the halls in which they took shelter. Also hiding at the institution were political refugees, among them the famous socialist leader Giovanni Roveda. In total, 109 refugees took shelter in the seminar, which fed and cared for them all despite the difficulties involved. On the night between the December 21 and 22, 1943, German soldiers broke into the seminar accompanied by the "Koch Gang," an outlawed mob dedicated to denouncing Jews. The gang, which held a special status with the occupying Germans, disregarded the signs posted on the seminar’s walls pronouncing it an extraterrestrial institution. “I was standing guard by myself, as the other watchman had not yet arrived, when around 11pm I heard some commotion coming from the inside yard," recalled Astrologo. "Suddenly, 10 armed people passed by. I ran back into the building, and between the second and third floor I bumped into Mon. Bertoglio, who had been alerted by the noise. He stood between me and the SS, halting the intruders. That is how I was able to make it to the top floor.” All the Jews made their way through a hidden passage into the neighboring convent’s kitchen. They squeezed into a tiny walled room whose entrance was concealed by a rack of bottles. The SS soldiers shot at the wall, but did not find the secret room. The Germans arrested the rector, together with one of the Jews who had been unable to escape in time. The Jewish refugee was deported to Campo di Fossoli, and murdered in Auschwitz. Roveda and some other non-Jews were also arrested. The Jews stayed hidden all night. In the early hours of the morning, they heard bottles being smashed, and were sure they had been discovered. However, two seminar students came to tell them the Nazis had gone, taking Monsignor Bertoglio with them. “We were shocked,” said Astrologo. The next day the Jews left the seminar in fear of a second raid, which indeed took place. After Bertoglio was released, Astrologo turned to his rescuer once more, and asked for his help. The rector helped him find another hiding place, but Astrologo had to soon abandon it after the area was bombed by the Allies. From then on, Astrologo lived under a false identity, using papers supplied to him by Monsignor Bertoglio. Angelo Perugia (b. 1926) arrived at the seminary on October 19, 1943, after spending a night with a client of his family's coal company, and two nights with one of their workers. The day after the SS raid, he recalled, the room they were hiding in became suffocating, and they had to come out. The nuns gave him and two family members some clothing and a Bible to hold as they sneaked out of the institution. On their way they passed German soldiers, but managed to escape. He remembers his oversized coat and torn shoes, and how weak and thin he was. He also remembers the kindness of Monsignor Bertoglio, confirming Astrologo's belief that the Rector acted out of deep humanitarian feelings. Perugia’s cousin, Sergio Toscano, and his brother-in-law Massimo were among those hidden at the seminary. Through his courageous actions, Monsignor Francesco Bertoglio saved 62 Jews from deportation. On April 28, 2010, Yad Vashem recognized Francesco Bertoglio as Righteous Among the Nations.