Rai TV report Il cielo in fiamme by Alberto Mentasti

 

Saturday November 15, 2008, at 12.25, TV report Il cielo in fiamme (trans. the sky on fire) by Alberto Mentasti dedicated to Alberto Colombo’s book Il disastro aereo del 26 giugno 1959 a Olgiate Olona was broadcast on Italian RaiTre network: the footage include the testimony and contributions collected in Olgiate Olona on October 11, 2008 during the official presentation of the book, and the original footage shot on site by Rai reporters after the plane crash of June 26, 1959. These exceptional documents were retrieved by Rai archive.

 

 

Publication and presentation of book
Il disastro aereo del 26 giugno 1959 a Olgiate Olona

 

Over the decades, the memory of the plane crash of June 26, 1959 handed down orally from eyewitnesses became first partial and then almost lost: the pieces of oral tale faded in popular legend whose contents were quite different from the essentiality of the fact.
Thanks to patient and meticulous research, in 2008 journalist Alberto Colombo - born and living in Olgiate Olona, eager for years to study in depth and to hand down this page of History worthy of being put into written form - reconstructed the story and published the book Il disastro aereo del 26 giugno 1959 a Olgiate Olona (translation: the plane crash of Olgiate Olona of June 26, 1959) presented in Olgiate Olona town hall on October 11, 2008: this work is based on documents (not on eyewitness accounts or memories) and summarizes the essential pieces useful for reconstructing the fact faithfully, it refers back to textual and iconographic documents (also mass media of the time) and contains dozens of notes for useful depth studies.

 

 

Another presentation of the book - also appreciated by the President of the Italian Republic and the President of the Council of Ministers - took place at Boragno library in Busto Arsizio on October 19, 2008, just a few steps from the Basilica of St. John the Baptist where on June 29, 1959, the solemn funerals of the seventy immortal lives were celebrated.
The Municipality of Olgiate Olona headed by mayor Giorgio Volpi valorised the work of Alberto Colombo by supporting the publication of the book and by donating it to the families of the community. Likewise the Municipality decided to feed the new “journey of memory” in view of the 50th anniversary of the plane crash planned for year 2009.

Documents related to the commemorative events of 2008

 

October 11, 2008 - Presentation of book Il disastro aereo del 26 giugno 1959 a Olgiate Olona

 

Testimony following the presentation of Alberto Colombo’s book

 

Comments on local mass media and other publications

 

June 27, 1999 - Article of Alberto Colombo published in Luce weekly newspaper

 

Journalist Alberto Colombo’s first article dedicated to the plane crash of June 26, 1959 and published on the occasion of 40th anniversary (in Italian language)

 

Selection of articles related to the commemorative events of 2008

 

Polis Legnano  January 23, 2009
Il disastro aereo di Olgiate 50 anni dopo - Un libro di Colombo per fare memoria

 

La prealpina  October 22, 2008
Lacrime come allora rileggendo il dramma

 

L’informazione dell’Altomilanese  October 17, 2008
Un doloroso, ma doveroso ricordo

 

VareseNews.it  October 17, 2008
Quando a Olgiate cadde l’aereo, storia di un disastro dimenticato

 

La prealpina  October 12, 2008
Ore 17.32: la tragedia precipita in valle

 

Il giorno  October 12, 2008
Aereo esploso in volo. Un libro per ricordare

 

CittàOggiWeb.it  October 10, 2008
Il disastro aereo di Olgiate Olona finalmente raccontato in un libro

 

La prealpina  October 9, 2008
Disastro aereo, altre lacrime dopo 50 anni

 

La provincia di Varese  October 9, 2008
Ore 17.33, su Olgiate si scatena l’Apocalisse

 

La prealpina  October 8, 2008
“Ricordo con orrore quella palla di fuoco scendere dal cielo”

Photo galleries 2008

 

11/10/2008

Presentation of Alberto Colombo’s book in Olgiate Olona town hall

(14 pictures)

 

19/10/2008

Presentation of Alberto Colombo’s book at Boragno bookstore in Busto Arsizio

(10 pictures)