Nembrini Alberto & Maria (Benadduci)

Alberto & Maria Nembrini Gonzaga Marquis Alberto Nembrini Gonzaga was born in Valcastagno di Numana in the Ancona district. He came from a noble family with ancient roots, and owned a lot of land. When the racial laws were instituted in Italy in 1938, Jewish lawyer Corrado Ascoli was stripped of his title and practice. His children were also expelled from school. After the September 8 capitulation of Italy and subsequent German invasion, the Jews' status worsened significantly. That Yom Kippur, the young rabbi of Ancona, Elio Tuaff, decided to close the synagogue, enraging his community. Later, when that day turned out to be marked by massive hunts for Jews, the community realized that many lives had been saved due to the rabbi's smart decision. In 1951, Elio Tuaff was appointed Chief Rabbi of Rome. Meanwhile, Carrado Ascoli and his wife Klara (neé Adlerstein) decided to flee Ancona with their children – Carla (b. 1933), Sergio (b. 1935), Vito (b. 1937) and Silvia (b. 1942) – and search for a safe haven in the surrounding villages. Giuseppe Ascoli, Corrado's brother, and his wife Eugenia came with them, bringing their children, Franca (b. 1932) and Fabio. The extended family – four adults and six children – ended up at the country home of their anti-fascist Catholic friend, Alberto Nembrini Gonzaga and his wife Maria. As they planned their escape to the already liberated south of Italy via the sea, the Nembrini Gonzagas hid the two families for six days, and took care of all their needs. Knowing that the planned escape was fraught with danger – several other Jews were caught in the area trying to flee by boat – Alberto made sure personally that the fishing boat arrived at the designated time and that the beach at Marcelli was clear of German soldiers. On the night of November 15-16, 1943, his 13-year-old daughter Alessandra rode her bicycle to the beach to make doubly sure that no Germans were around. That night, the sea was rough, but thefishing boat was able to come to shore, load all of the Jewish passengers, and sail south beyond the German lines to the town of Termoli. The members of the Nembrini Gonzaga family significantly endangered their own lives in hiding the two Jewish families and in organizing and paying for their escape to safety and freedom. Their rescue actions were based on friendship and pure humanitarian feelings. Luigi Ruggeri, the head of the local anti-Fascist underground organization, and his wife Rita were also witnesses to the event, as were the four daughters of Laberto and Maria Nembrini Gonzaga. After the war, the survivor families and their rescuers kept in close contact. Many years later, a meeting between Sergio Ascoli and Alessandra Nembrini Gonzaga led to the opening of the process to recognize her parents as Righteous Among the Nations. On May 6, 2012, Yad Vashem recognized Alberto and Maria Nembrini Gonzaga as Righteous Among the Nations.