NOTIZIE C. U. N.

Magazine Overview

Title: NOTIZIE C. U. N.
Issue: 5
Date: October 1984
Publisher: CENTRO UFOLOGICO NAZIONALE
Country: Italy
Language: Italian

This issue of "NOTIZIE C.U.N.", the informative circular of the Centro Ufologico Nazionale (C.U.N.), marks the fifth fascicle and highlights a busy October with numerous UFO-related events and news. The publication expresses gratitude to collaborators for their contributions to ufological activities and the production of the newsletter.

Dalla Segreteria (From the Secretariat)

The Secretariat reports on received investigation reports and ongoing activities. These include:

• Material Received:
• A preliminary report by Gianfranco Lollino on a photographic case from Rimini, dated 16/1/83 (6 pages).
• An update on the Varzi case (PV) from 5/6/83, with a follow-up investigation conducted during the summer (2 pages).
• A detailed report by Giuseppe Verdi (Vittoria - RG) on two sightings in 1980 near Mount Etna (10 pages).
• 16 pages of updates from Maurizio Verga concerning 1977 landing cases from ITACAT.

• Acknowledgements: Thanks are extended to various collaborators for journalistic articles and other materials, including Antonio Chiumiento, Massimo Colnaghi, Vittorio Crosa, Giorgio Giannini, Massimo Greco, Daniele Lolicato, Lorenzo Massai, Pasquale Russo, and Maurizio Verga. Special thanks are given to Giorgio Russolillo (Naples) for his significant collaboration with the Secretariat.

• Publications Received: The newsletter "NUOVI ORIZZONTI" (Year V, No. 1), an independent information periodical from the Centro Ifologo Italiano, was received, though it contained no UFO-related content.

• Material Availability: All reported material is available for request in copy form. Requests are free in exchange for useful UFO material for the C.U.N. archive, or for a fee of L. 100 per page for photocopies and shipping, plus reimbursement for postage.

• Archive Catalog: A provisional catalog of the Italian case files in the archive is available free of charge upon request.

Lavori in Corso (Works in Progress)

Besides routine administrative tasks, the Secretariat is completing two major projects:

• ARCHIVIO STAMPA 1978 (Press Archive 1978): Camillo Michieletto is responsible for dossiering newspaper articles from 1978. The work has progressed through November, with only December remaining, which is noted for its high volume of clippings.

• CASISTICA ANNI '80 (Case Files 1980s): The dossiering and cataloging of all Italian UFO case sources from 1980 to 1984 is a primary focus. The goal is to distribute a list of all archived material by the end of the year, covering hundreds of sources and over 500 sightings. This catalog is entirely computer-managed.

Attività (Activities)

• Coordinamento Triveneto (Triveneto Coordination): The first meeting of the newly formed Triveneto Coordination of C.U.N. took place in Pordenone on October 27th. Organized by Antonio Chiumiento and Alessandro Cortellazzi, the meeting involved about a dozen participants from Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige. The aim is to systematically connect those actively involved in ufology in these three regions. Agreements were made to establish a centralized archive in Trento for local newspaper clippings, to better coordinate investigation activities, and to create regional catalogs of sightings in Veneto and Friuli. The Trento branch will also manage an informative circular.

• **Cataloghi Regionali e Provinciali (Regional and Provincial Catalogs):
• Piemonte: Edoardo Russo has completed the computerization of the entire regional catalog for Piemonte - Valle d'Aosta, which contains 937 cases from 1900 to 1984. Statistical analyses, including tables and graphs of distributions (by year, month, hour, type), have been performed. More complex analyses are planned, and interested parties are invited to request copies of the data.
• Sicilia: Giuseppe Verdi (Vittoria) has expressed interest in creating a provincial archive for Ragusa, in collaboration with Marcello Crinò, the curator of the regional catalog.
• Other Regions: Promising contacts are underway for a regional catalog in the Marche region and a provincial catalog in the Frosinone area.

Informazioni (Information)

• Gli UFO alla RAI (UFOs on RAI): Following a parliamentary inquiry and a C.U.N. request to the Ministry of Defense regarding military UFO archives, ufology has been featured on RAI television.
• On October 2nd, MP Giancarlo Abete participated in the program "PRONTO RAFFAELLA." The broadcast was not recorded due to lack of prior notification.
• On October 5th, MP Martino Scovacricchi was invited to a debate on the program "FILM – DOSSIER" following the science fiction film "Alien." The discussion, coordinated by Piero Angela, initially focused on the possibility of extraterrestrial life with input from biologist Celli and astronomers Margherita Hack, Facini, and Carl Sagan. The last 30 minutes shifted to UFOs, with contributions from Alitalia commander Salvatore Marcelletti and UFO skeptic Philip Klass. The report criticizes the debate's orchestration, stating that it was designed to discredit the UFO phenomenon, with Klass heavily featured and supported by Angela, who allegedly denied the existence of unidentifiable cases and questioned the value of studying the problem.
• Despite attempts by C.U.N. members to ask serious questions, RAI Milan's switchboard reportedly filtered calls, accepting only basic questions.
• Behind-the-scenes information suggests that RAI journalists had contacted C.U.N. representatives to feature Marshal-Pilot Giancarlo Cecconi, known for a photographic sighting in S. Angelo di Treviso. However, Piero Angela allegedly refused to have any "ufologists" on the program, which would have allowed for a rebuttal of Klass's and Angela's skeptical views, contrary to principles of objectivity.
• A 90-minute recording of the entire debate, or a 30-minute UFO-specific portion, is available for L. 3000 (cassette and shipping). A Betamax video recording can be requested from Massimo Greco (Brescia).

• Due Atterraggi con Tracce e Umanoidi (Two Landings with Traces and Humanoids): October saw a resurgence of UFO sightings in Italy, including two notable landing cases:
• October 9th, 7:30 AM, Prata Principato (AV): A farmer observed a short, stocky humanoid figure, about 1.3 meters tall, wearing a brown spacesuit, helmet, and backpack with tubes. The entity carried a forked stick and departed, emitting blue flames towards a departing "navicella." Six conical holes arranged in a rectangle, along with large, deep footprints, were found at the site. Carabinieri conducted investigations and collected evidence. The traces remained warm for two days. Two independent investigations were conducted by Umberto Telarico (with collaborators) and Giorgio Russolillo.
• October 9th, 3:30 AM, Polcanto (FI): A night watchman reported a bright light followed by a luminous beam that dissolved, revealing an entity that was subsequently "sucked up." Traces in the shape of an isosceles triangle were found on the ground and documented by the Carabinieri. At least three independent investigations were carried out by Siro Menicucci (S.U.F.), and C.U.N. members Mario Bottaini, Corrado Malanga, and Fabrizio Villa.
• Full reports on both cases will be available soon.

• In Breve (In Brief): Local television programs on UFOs were recently produced by Massimo Greco (Brescia) for "Brescia Tele Nord" and by Luigi Sorgno (Turin) for "Quinta Rete."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing documentation and investigation of UFO phenomena, the importance of archiving and cataloging cases, and the challenges of presenting UFO evidence in mainstream media. The C.U.N. appears to maintain a stance of diligent research and data collection, while also being critical of media portrayals that are perceived as biased or dismissive of the subject. The newsletter actively promotes collaboration among researchers and aims to provide a comprehensive resource for UFO information in Italy.