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Illustrious son of the earth of Vico is the pioneer of the Bartolomeo Cattaneo. Who was never costui? They will be asked more. He was without a shadow of doubt a personage of such bore to inorgoglire its earth of origin and Italy intera. its name can appear between the personages who have given Gloria to Go them Camonica and Tellina. Who reminded more this name belonged to a man whom it made to rave the crowds of Italy, of France, of England, Russia and the America of the South, its reputation caught up the entire world. Authentic pioneer of the flight, contemporary and student predelight of Bleriot, companion of audacities of Natham, Farman, Voisin, Chavez, Garros, Santos Dumont, Calderara etc., i skies of Europe and the America of the South saw its first reckless flights on uncertainly scoppiettanti apparatuses, to little meters of height, for little minuteren. The first pages of the history of aviation were written to that time and the Gloria was all for the valorosi pilots. The technical means were considered like a marchingegno infernale. Were Cattaneo of those men who the nature creates for the single action, its need to operate, to dare, the intimate irrequietudine, the silks of tests of darings, it could placarla and only exaust it in attempting in dense crobatic enterprises of mortal risks them and that they had of the miraculous one for that time. Classified as "reckless" it was itself tax to the universal admiration for the costanza of its great courage and for sure brilliant and skillful particularitities in its sensitive flights and its elegant maneuvers. It considered just must give if same in order to assert the validity and the sure future of aerial means. Bartolomeo Cattaneo 1° pilot's licence in Italy (1) nacque to Grosio in Valtellina 30 January 1883 where the parents had been moved for job, but it considered always its earth of origin the small country of Vico, where passed its first spensierata infancy near the maternal grandfathers Margherita and Gio Perlotti Batiste of the family "Sciopeter". Bartolomeo is terzogenito of six sons of the Cattaneo spouses Peter and Perlotti Good Maria.... Through the memory that of He they have oldest, the its infancy passed in the small country between simple people and between the adored Faithful uncle Perlotti is recalled above all (then manager of the Renaissance Restaurant in Edolo and that July 1909 will receive its illustrious grandson with rejoicing in occasion of the banquet-reception for the inauguration of the 14 the Brescia-Edolo railroad) and near the siblings of the grandmother Antonio (Tone dele fonne), Sunday, Maria and Caterina Maria.... Evidently seppur encircled from familiar love discolo the child it is attracted from qualche.cosa that is to outside of the living calm and even between hardships and difficulty, it feels that the profession of fabbro exercised from the father does not attract it more than as well as, and not even that one of the host, not even that one of the peasant, is attracted instead from the motors, but in these countries it blots some ve are not any and one is not known as it succeeds to catch up Milan and side still disowned succeeds to enter in contact with the world of the mechanics and the first motor cars, authentic gap is then the encounter with Bleriot, the master of the flight, than it calls it like mechanic of confidence and with it realizes if same in the profession from preferred he. In 1903 he participated with Santos Dumont to the first experiences of the "heaviest one of the air", first demonstrations of pilotage ability. In the same year it begins several the experiments and it follows the master ovunque this prepares experiments of flight and construction of motors for airplane calls you for the note "Bleriot". We find therefore in France, in Russia, in Germany, insomma in turn for Europe, ventenne or little more, around to years 1900-1908, and the relatives have insufficient news as well as to consider it like a scappato house he son and that they do not know where to trace, they receive irregularly of letters and the postcards with the effige of these strange flying birds and remain skeptical, increduli and above all sconfortati. In 1909 with the aerial circuit of Brescia-Montichiari in which Bartolomeo it does not participate to you directly and with that one of Reims (fine september of 1909) in which Cattaneo a lot participates to you directly also still having the pilot's licence does not begin to go up its popolarità that also in the dispersed one goes them has news of ours prode aviator through the rare daily paper (the Valcamonica, and the Bresciana Lookout) that first pilots publish of bounce the gesta of these. To it begins them sconforto near the relatives begins to replace a sure contained joy seppur in a continuous apprehension. The occasion for riabbracciare relatives and friends was introduced when the Brescia-Edolo Railroad was inaugurated, Cattaneo to the beginning of its reputation is recognized and receives congratulations and homages from the its people that still celebrates it congratula with he with one sure incredulità, a sure astonishment, also not sharing in full load the smania to dare of the pilot. It can riabbracciare its old relatives who cannot not be proud of he but at the same time of it they suffer the distance, a lot that for someone will be the last occasion see again it. Everyone must follow just the destiny, and he returning to the just Serbian in the heart memory of its beloveds, but at the same time (years 1909-1910) lives its better period than Gloria. It attempts directly in the main aerial competitions participating to you (to circuit of Lilla etc, or coadiuvando master Bleriot (1 trasvolata of the Sleeve, July 1909). In January 1910 pilot to the school of pilotage of PAU in France patents itself and endured we find protagonist to it in the aerial circuit of Odessa in Russia, in the May of 1910 participates to the aerial competition of Verona (22-29 May 1910) where universal is recognized like better Italian pilot in contest and where conquest the supremacy of height salting to 1670 meters with a Bleriot monoplane, its reputation always grows more, calls it the enfant gâté, the other main concurrent ones of the Circuit of Verona are several the pioneers Martinet, Paulhan, Ravetto, Farman, Metrot, Chavez etc. Cattaneo knows them to the apexes of the popolarità, people applauds it, the main manufacturers of the time makes contest in order to buy up its work. After Verona Cattaneo it participates to several others meeting of aviation in France and from the 28 10 July to August 1910 is the only Italian to participate to the "Blackpool aviation meeting" putting in extension its abilities and its courage, distinguishes also in this competition and sopravanza in the several contests the several Audemars, Morane, Roe, Hadley Huntley, a lot in order to cite of some and receives compliments and the prizes from the hands of the King of England, from little incoronato, George V, son of Edoardo WAYS. Other contests attend our valoroso, eccolo to participate in the aerial circuit of Lanhort and to that one of Rouen (12-26 June 1910), Reims (3-10 July 1910) in France, where they are from numbering also of the mortal falls them of concurrent others. But it is more and more thirsty and convinced of the usefullness of aerial means and he attempts taking care of of the danger and full load of confidence, in more and more dangerous enterprises. In one of rare letters to its beloveds a lot writes "hard work but happened crescente". Taking advantage of the happened one of these contests they are organized to rhythm unbridled of the others, not curing themselves of the hard work and the weight that the air ones must sopportare, and ended a circuit eccone to organize an other. Senz' other the more important was the Aerial Circuit of Milan (fine september, first October of 1910). The Aerial Circuit of Milan acknowledged like the maximum aerial reunion of Italy, in fact, to difference of the maximum part of those estates also in many cities of Europe, it did not limit just meant to a show for imposing how much of audacity and skill, but it offered to the public, to the technicians and to the students the criteria I concluded you of a solemn scientific comparison. The main schools and constructive tendencies, in fact, were represented. Also in this Cattaneo occasion, it was brought to light, it celebrates its "planée" flights. Wide descriptive reports of the from Milan air contests can be reperire on the Courier of the Evening, Sunday of the Courier and other newspapers of the age. The same Courier of the Evening offers to the Italian society of aviation the considerable sum (for that time) of Lit. 50,000 for the organization of the saying Circuit of Milan. Cattaneo is with Ruggerone the best Italian in various lists and conquest prizes. Nourished it was the competition, in fact, the most audacious pioneers of the flight were enrolled between the others: Paulhan, Weimann, Chavez, Kuller, Mollien, Paul, a lot in order to cite of some and however were 26 French (native land of the pilotage schools), 6 Italians (Ravetto, Cagno, Ruggerone, Magenta and Madrigali beyond to Cattaneo), 2 Dutch, 1 Peruvian (Chavez), 1 English, 3 Germans and 2 Belgian. It was to attempt in continuous ability, the crowd was bewitched and same the Real ones wanted to know and to compliment itself with our Heroes, celebre is the flight of Cattaneo over the guglie of Dome (23-9-1910). To dare was the word of order of these men and to dare to valicare the Alps with those blots of it infernal scoppiettanti, what never true thought and considered and own crazy enterprise, was an idea of the from Milan committee of aviation, organizers of the several contests, and it was believed to try to organize the Trasvolata of the Alps with the maxim "From Briga to Milan in aereoplan". Thought was necessary the minimum of 5 heroic pilots disposed to go up to one height never (to valicare the Alps through the Sempione). Also to this enterprise our Bartolomeo was enrolled, with Chavez, Weimann, Legagneux, Aubrun, Latham and Wiencziers. The departure was fixed to Briguerberg to m. 900 of altitude considering that the cold of the high quota could nuocere to the good operation of the motors of those "airplane", was provided to cover the motors with rags. The great prize of the contest was of Lit. 100,000 and the newspapers of the time wrote: "will be carried out an enterprise that never neanche was not dreammed in the centuries? The public has faith; the technicians ce promise it, the enrolled one to the contest ce assure it. If that "will happen will not have more reservoirs and indugi in the victorious progresses of the mechanical flight: the man will have become really and incontestably the monarch of the sky "(from the 18 to the 24 september 1910). Considering the atmospheric conditions several they were tried to you: it begins them that one of Weymann that, for mechanical troubles, was forced to return to the line of departure. Subsequently Chavez attempted, which it succeeded in valicare the tip of the Sempione, it crossed the terrible one goes them Vaira, reductions trionfalmente to Iselle, but just while it was gotten ready to to land sure of the happened one, mechanical troubles to means and atrocious destiny provoked the rovinosa fall of means, were collected hurt seriously and died little days after without taking acquaintance. As a result of this mortal incident was suspended them in sign of mourning the other tests of the Trasvolata. The Alps were gained but which prezzo! the air ones underwrote a declaration of suspension of all the contests in French language, in which they expressed their pain and their participation to the mourning for the dead women of Chavez. At the bottom to this declaration the company of our Bartolomeo Cattaneo (n. 2 of gara). To Domodossola carried out imposing funerals to prode the Chavez, and our Cattaneo, in order to honor the memory of the friend and in order to reaffirm the sure future of aerial means it was moved in Argentine also for propagandare aerial means in those places, and 16 December of the same year of Gloria 1910, after forces dismissals to you he was exposed to full load succeeded in first trasvolata of the River de the Plata from Buenos Aires in Argentine to Colony in Uruguay. It tells to such purpose Sergio Raminelli: "the enterprise succeeded perfectly, only was a delay in the time employed from the aviator, subsequently explained from same Cattaneo that reported of the mistrustful and nearly threatening behavior much of the aborigines in the presence of that" strange bird "come down from the sky and of its landladies". The Town hall of Colony was covered totally 90 Km. made to coin one medal of gold to memory of the event with written following: "the Intendencia en representaciòn de the Municipalidad de Colony to Bartolomé Cattaneo en I testify de admiraciòn por on vuelo de Buenos Aires to the Real de Saint Carlos. Diciembre 16 de 1910". Cattaneo gave to its name to a quality of cigarettes a lot was even its celebrity, but the more and more increasing happened one did not exalt it; it prepared with dedication and sacrifice to other difficult South American engagements to begin 26 December of same 1910 to the first flights on Santiago of Chile. He had occasion to know others emigrating of origin camuna, first of all tightened sincere friendship with the Ferrari family Peter, original of Stadolina di Vione. Same Peter Ferrari the immortalò with its photographies in more celebrates South American enterprises being the photographer person in charge from the Argentine authorities. Other friend was Fortunate Rossini, than coadiuvò Cattaneo in its gesta and began same he the career of aviatore. Meanwhile in the village he loses the persons more beloveds, the grandfathers die, and the 24 July 1911 the mother Maria Good Perlotti, that he followed with trepidation all the news bouncing from the far Lydians, to the return from the putting finds a daily paper and leaf through it sees it that it is spoken about its son, it firm, the emotion is strong, law with greed in order to understand the most possible sense than those words and in order to feel the son more close and for being proud of he, the emotion knows them, the poor woman, already of heart, it does not resist to the emotion and stramazza to earth. They collect by now for road in state of coma from where it will not be come to more, it dies, in fact, the same evening. Bartolomeo bitterly cried the dead women of the mother whom it loved more than all, in fact, the woman, also suffering tremendously the distance from the son, it had encouraged it more times to follow its road, and defending the son to sword draft from accusations and easy subjects of gossip. The mother was for Bartolomeo the preferred confidente and hour without of she was felt faded in stimoli. Cercò to exceed the pain throwing itself to capofitto in other dangerous enterprises; some sources say participant to it to the war of Libia 1911-1912; we do not have official documents with regard to. Burst the Catteneo $first World War it noticed and it was enlisted voluntary (you notice yourself that it was thought unskillful to before the visit of lever) and was used like instructor and with the degree of lieutenant in several schools of pilotage. The war was the ideal field, where he, beside the pure joy of being able itself prodigare giornalmente in sour missions useful to the aim to catch up the Victoria, saw made truth its dream of intense and breathtaking life, saw satisfied its nostalgic desire of the distances to divorare, the pleasure to be moderate itself with the heights and the distances, riuscendogli to tear to the space the proud and inebriante feeling that to its null audacity was illicit. 22 December 1918 was dismissed in the Aereonautica department of Turin... To the end of the war 1915-18 it continued its work like civil pilot to Milan and Catania. Young person, lend, intelligent, had many admirers and friends in the cerchia of the bourgeois society, a celebre soprano, Luisa Tetrazzini, long relation with he had one. It lived in this period to Genoa, near the sister Maria, being worth obstetrician and near of she it also lived the father Peter, by now only and old. It knew and it was dependent of Caproni, the famous constructor of airplane. In 1929 the South America still tried it; 5000 HP returned you with a Caproni airplane in order to carry out the aereofotogrammetrico survey of the region of Saint Paul in Brasi them. The Caproni airplane was equipped with equipment and arranges Nistri for the airplane-photometric relief. The important job came completed from the Cattaneo that disclosed the Nistri system in all the South America. Subsequently, its unstable and adventurous temperament led back it in those Brasi them that already for a long time air conscience in the pride of being possessed one the native land of Santos Dumont. To River de Janeiro, the intrepido Italian it was exhibited in spectacular "circles of the dead women", while the crowds of the race course of the Gavea applauded it thrilling. Thanks to its good and frank character, of a modestia exasperating, short Cattaneo divenne in idolo of the Brazilians and a its name, its "loncuras" madnesses, were most popular. It felt joined this generous Brazilian people who when the revolution burst of 1932 in favor of the Constitution, joined to it, rendering precious services. He was between the founders of the VASP, airline civil Brazilian, of which she was commander, lend service in the Saint line Paulo-Riberao Preto: 300 km. on the forests. Hard times for such kind of industry. Aristides Pileggi, that Cattaneo knew personally, says of he in the book: "Jubileu de Ouro from Vasp seus primeiros anos de Vida". "the courage of that man gave to moral enthusiasm and to all we!". By now Cattaneo had 51 years. The time still passed, the aerial organization progressed more and more; the incanutirono hats of the ancient pilot. It came discharged from the employment: its cycle by now was completed. For living ridursi to make some other job had. It did not return more in Italy, the relatives, in special way the sisters, made it to try uselessly by means of consulate, without outcome. January 1938 reappears to the report 25 when, in occasion of it prevails them flight of the "sorci greens" from Rome to River de Janeiro, with trasvolata of the Atlantic, sends a telegram of felicitazioni to the auteri: Biseo colonel, Moscatelli Captain and Tawny Tenente Mussolini. Saying telegram is brought back from Benito same Mussolini that, in the per diem one "I speak with Tawny", recalls the figure of the Tawny son, flying fallen to Pisa the 7-8-1941, pag. 84 cites testualmente: "Many telegrams you received (in occasion of the flight Roma-Rio de Janeiro, addressing itself the Tawny son), but beside the great names they are sure that you he is not discaro that I draw someone from the crowd that the flight exalted. Frugando between the envelopes that you, tidy boy had tidily conservato: "You pass the days, the weeks and the months, you will pass the years, but in the heart of we Italian and all the Brazilians always permarrà the memory of your audacious flight". Therefore Cattaneo wrote, director of a photographic plant to S. Paulo of Brasi them, and concluded: "in large mouth to the lupo or Tawny. To the indispensable audacity, he joins in the art of the flight, one is also small part of precaution "". The last splash of notoriety the famous "AZ" had it for the arrival in Saint Paulo of the Angel of the Children, prodigò with an incredible enthusiasm to the organization of the reception, with aviator and Italian heart. When Bonzi and Lualdi to the arrival knew it, they embraced and they wanted it regalargli the small compass that had guides them to you in the Atlantic traversata one. Cattaneo was fierce of this gift and it showed it. Its pride prevented it to reveal its conditions unconnected financial institutions, but this comfort has not never made it to lose the natural lovableness that rendered it pleasing to how many approached it. It had accepted to write for a Brazilian newspaper its memories and perhaps that would have raised its situation financial institution, but of it it did not have the time. In its same stable one it inhabited a bresciana family, the Miglioretti, in Saint Paul, rua from Concaicao to n. the 134, he attended it all the evenings and with it in dialetto bresciano it loved to recall all its life, its gesta, satisfied of being able to speak its language above all and of being between its people. The evening before dying, oed from trusts friends like always, manifesting not to be in good health. It said that the day after would have gone from the doctor, like made; to the return, as it describes "gazeta", newspaper of Saint Paulo: "In one of the first afternoons of this autumnal one you open them (1949) rainy one, a man modestly dressed re-entered to its mobiliata small room, situated to the fifth plan of a palace of the center. Its breath was difficult, to such point that is decided to stop itself to the third plan where Italian family dwelled one friend. He played to the door, came to aprirgli and without being able to say a salute word, the man pulled down itself fulminato between the arms of the house landlady. He had 66 years, called Bartolomeo Cattaneo ". The "obito certificate de" says that Bartolomeo Cattaneo is died in Saint Paulo the 2 opens them 1949, for angina pectoris and aortica insufficiency. The destiny has at least classified the comfort to it of being collected for the last time from Italians." The Brazilian press wide remembered it with affection, gratefulness and commotion, also that Italian remembered it, but with going of the time of it she forgot the gesta. The Brazilian and Italian personalities of Saint Paulo were interested because its funerals were worthy of he and because much mistress was buried in the "Nail head of the Italian Veteran" - Mausoleo of the Heroes, cemetary of the Araça di San Paul - to eternal riconoscenza of its native land. Its empty ones are still lying in that cemetary . Submitted by Giovanni Giorgetti, |
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