14 Facts About Teresio Olivelli

Teresio Olivelli was an Italian Roman Catholic soldier during World War II and part of the Italian Resistance movement to Fascism and the Nazi regime.

Teresio Olivelli was born in 1916 in Como to Domenico Olivelli and Clelia Invernizzi.

Teresio Olivelli moved with his parents in 1926 to Pavia and was good at Latin when he studied there.

Teresio Olivelli studied at Mortara and at Vigevano before transferring his studies to Pavia in 1934 where he graduated in law with honors in 1938 from the Ghislieri College.

Teresio Olivelli penned articles on the social and legal issues of the times in the college paper "Book and Musket" and in the journal "Fascist Civilization".

Teresio Olivelli started to become critical of the Italian regime and believed he could improve it through a more Christian message though later broke from it after seeing the situation with deporting Jewish people as per racial laws and the French invasion.

Teresio Olivelli became part of the Italian resistance movement in Milan as part of the triangular resistance including Brescia and Cremona branches.

Teresio Olivelli remained in touch with resistance members such as Peppino Pelosi and Carlo Manziana while he was in Brescia.

Teresio Olivelli worked hard to create the newspaper "Il ribelle" and the first issue published on 5 March 1944 was dedicated to Astolfo Lunardi and Ermanno Margheriti who were both executed not long before.

Teresio Olivelli's paper was the underground newspaper for the Green Flames Brigades partisan group.

Teresio Olivelli was then transferred to Bolzano before being sent to Flossenburg and then to Hersbruck.

Teresio Olivelli shared food rations with inmates and treated their injuries and even spent time with Blessed Odoardo Focherini to comfort him before the latter died.

Teresio Olivelli died from injuries he sustained in 1945 not long after defending a Ukrainian inmate from being attacked.

Teresio Olivelli was kicked in the stomach and intestines plus being struck 25 times.