Roberto Lordi

Roberto Lordi (Naples, 11 April 1894 – Rome, 24 March 1944) was Brigadier General of the Regia Aeronautica, Gold Medal of Military Valour Recipient and Martyr in the Fosse Ardeatine Massacre.

After earning a degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the Turin Polytechnic, in 1919 he was stationed in Libya at the Comando Aviazione della Tripolitania as the Commanding Officer of the 89th Bomber Squadron.

The following year he flew a Fiat R.22 for the Rome-Turin-London Air Race, ranking among the top pilots along with his very close friend Sabato Martelli Castaldi.

[2] Promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in March 1935, he was able to obtain valuable orders for aircraft and arms that were badly managed by the Italian regime and the manufacturing companies.

[3] Recalled back to Italy at the end of August 1935, with the excuse of having to report on the mission, Roberto Lordi was first arrested and then locked up in a nursing home.

Following the Armistice on 8 September 1943, though suffering from heart disease, he exited his house with his hunting rifle to reach Porta San Paolo and fight against the German troops.

In his country home in Genzano, he helped and hid people wanted by the Nazi occupation forces for political and military reasons, including Jews.

He kept in contact with Allied troops thanks to radio equipment he himself set up, forwarding important information on topographical features and German military installations between Fregene and Anzio.

After an informer denounced them, on 17 January 1944 the Nazi SS broke into the homes of Lordi and Martelli Castaldi without finding them, for they were not in Rome: Stacchini was arrested in their stead.

4 of the dreaded prison in Via Tasso, Lordi was well aware of the torture always awaiting him, and so he feigned illness, in order to request a visit from his personal doctor, a cardiologist.

Herbert Kappler, the German Officer who perpetrated the massacre, stated during the trial against him in 1948 that both died shouting “Viva l’Italia” (“Long live Italy!”).

Lordi stands out for the high sense of honour and loyalty always shown to his country, a lasting example of the virtues of heroism, coherence and courage which have historically distinguished the best airmen in the Italian Air Force.

Decorations Gold Medal for Military Valour; posthumous Dedicating himself with no personal ambitions and for purest love of his country to partisan activity, during the four months of his tireless and most risky work he gave generously all his exceptional qualities of courage, intelligence and organizing capacity, finding men and supplies for the armed groups, subtracting arms and explosives destined for the Germans, furnishing the Allied Command with useful information, all with a very serious personal risk.