Notizie CUN - No 06

Magazine Overview

Title: NOTIZIE C.U.N.
Issue: 6
Date: December 1984
Publisher: CENTRO UFOLOGICO NAZIONALE (National Ufological Center)
Type: Informative Circular

This issue of "Notizie C.U.N." marks the conclusion of its first year of publication, described as more than satisfactory. The circular aims to maintain contact among Italian ufologists, providing a point of reference and fostering a sense of community in an environment previously perceived as sterile due to a lack of connection and engaging initiatives. The publication is funded by the Secretariat members through personal contributions, with hopes for future financial support from the C.U.N. Directorate.

Secretariat Activities and Acknowledgements

The Secretariat expresses gratitude to two young Turin students, Fabrizio DIVIDI and Riccardo DE FLORA, for their diligent work in compiling press clippings for the Archives, bringing them up to date through 1982. The Secretariat also acknowledges the ongoing collaboration of numerous individuals who provide press clippings, foreign material, and personal studies, enriching the content of "Notizie C.U.N.". Special thanks are extended to Mariella BERNACCHI, Marco BOTTAINI, Antonio CHIUMIENTO, Alessandro CORTELLAZZI, Marcello CRINO', Vittorio CROSA, Marcel DELAVAL, Luigi DI RUZZA, Roberto FARABONE, Massimo GRECO, Fabrizio MASSI, Michele SISTI, Piero TOLOMEI, Paolo TOSELLI, Giuseppe VERDI, and Maurizio VERGA. Additionally, Giorgio GIANNINI, Francesco PASSERETTI (C.I.I.R. of Rome), and Carmine AYMONE have offered their collaboration with the Central Archives.

Received Material and Investigation Reports

The circular details a significant amount of received investigation reports and material:

• Massimo NEBBIA (Turin): Submitted a 37-page report on a case in Rubiana (Turin) from July 21, 1983, involving presumed secondary effects.
• Siro MENICUCCI (Prato): Provided a summary report of investigations into the IR-3 case in Polcanto (Florence) on October 9, 1984 (20 pages).
• Pier Luigi SANI (Florence): Sent a detailed report on the Polcanto case, based on on-site investigations (18 pages).
• Alessandro CORTELLAZZI (Trento): Submitted reports on a case between Rovereto and Ala (Trento) on April 12, 1984 (10 pages) and a 'false' journalistic report from Loppio (Trento) on October 19, 1984 (4 pages).
• Giuseppe VERDI (Vittoria): Sent two well-structured reports on cases in Vizzini (Catania) between December 13-20, 1978 (10 pages) and Vittoria (Ragusa) in August 1981 (7 pages).
• Luigi DI RUZZA (G.S.E. Cassino): Provided a detailed report on a nocturnal light sighting in Cassino on November 8-9, 1983 (9 pages).
• Flavio GOTTARDI (Rome): Submitted a report, recording, and a sample (a stone) related to a singular case of presumed IR-3 with radioactive effects in Calenzano (Florence) on January 7, 1973 (16 pages).

New Publications

Manual of Ufological Investigation Methodology: After a long wait, this manual is complete and available. It is divided into three parts: an epistemological introduction, a section on witness interviews, and a section on report writing. Appendices include instructions for quantitative data collection, a list of necessary materials, and a reminder for the investigator. The manual is free for those who submitted investigation reports in 1984 and costs L. 2,000 for others to cover reproduction and shipping costs.

New Catalog of the Documentation Bank: The second edition of the catalog, updated to December 15, 1984, is ready. It covers Italian cases from 1980 to 1984 and contains 860 documents related to 350 cases (out of 620 archived by the Center), totaling 1850 pages. Material is available via photocopy from the Italian Casistica Archive in Turin, either in exchange for similar material or for a fee of L. 100 per page. The catalog is structured to highlight essential data (date, time, location, type) for each case, listing all archived documents and their page counts. It is sent free of charge to those who submitted material to the Turin Documentation Bank in 1984, and can be requested by others for L. 2,000 to cover reproduction costs.

Activities

From Pordenone: The extensive and constant activity of Antonio Chiumiento is highlighted. For seven years, he has dedicated most of his Saturdays and Sundays to investigating UFO sightings in Veneto and Friuli, with his inquiries reportedly numbering between 700 and 800. He also engages in public outreach through conferences and radio/TV programs. Despite recently undergoing throat surgery, he resumed his investigations promptly. The magazine extends best wishes for his speedy recovery.

Catalog of Italian Cases with Traces: Maurizio VERGA's annotated catalog of Italian cases with traces, originally published in "Notiziario UFO" no. 101, has been updated with four additional appendices, adding 53 new cases to the original 100. Due to the cessation of "Notiziario UFO" publications, these updates remain unpublished. The appendices are available from the C.U.N. for L. 2,000 to cover reproduction costs.

Information

Recent Sightings:

• October 30: A sighting in Pordenone involved a professional observing and following a "ball of light" moving in a zig-zag pattern for about fifteen minutes before it descended and disappeared. This event was widely reported in the Italian press.
• November 30: A luminous green object with a trail was observed around 16:40 across the three Venezie regions (Vicenza, Belluno, Trento, Pordenone, Udine). Numerous sightings were reported by local media and investigated by various provincial C.U.N. branches.
• December 5: A very bright object flew over southern France during daylight, causing a blinding flash and a loud boom in the province of Cuneo, Italy, with tremors felt throughout the province. Hundreds of witnesses, including in Liguria, reported the event. Investigations are underway by the Turin branch, collaborating with local branches and amateur astronomers.
• Following days in Cuneo: Several sightings of luminous objects with trails were reported, both day and night.
• December 15: A phenomenon resembling a rapidly moving light, similar to a phosphorescent bulb with a white trail, was observed around 17:50-17:55 across much of northern Italy, with sightings reported from Maiano (Udine) to Villarbasse (Turin) and the Lucca area. Some witnesses were C.U.N. members.

Reports on these press-covered events will be published in the "Notiziario dell'Archivio Stampa."

UFO and Personal Computer:

A meeting was held in Milan on November 19, organized by Cooperativa Studi Iniziative UPIAR S.r.l., focusing on the applications of informatics in ufology. The discussion covered concrete applications of personal computers and ongoing initiatives. A key initiative is the creation of a network of Commodore 64 computers to record data from Italian UFO cases onto magnetic media for the "Regional Catalogues Project." Compatibility issues between different systems (Apple, Commodore, Texas) were also discussed.

"NOTIZIARIO UFO": The Situation

Rumors and speculation surrounding the publication of "Notiziario UFO" are addressed. The editor has confirmed that the publication is suspended indefinitely due to economic reasons. The publisher had expected 1500 initial subscribers but received only 400, with just 200 paying. This resulted in significant financial losses for the editor, who had invested over 12 million lire against an income of about 8 million. The editor stated that internal C.U.N. controversies were not a factor and expressed disappointment that subscribers were not informed of the situation as agreed with the Directorate. The Secretariat clarifies that it was not involved in the management of "Notiziario UFO" and therefore cannot provide further explanations. The magazine expresses regret at ending this "publishing adventure" and advises those seeking information or guarantees about their subscriptions to contact editor Pierluigi Violin and responsible director Roberto Pinotti.

Ministry Response

In early November, the C.U.N. Vice President, Antonio CHIUMIENTO, received a response from the Italian Ministry of Defense regarding a sighting by military pilot M.llo Giancarlo CECCONI on June 18, 1979. The Ministry confirmed the sighting but identified the object as "unequivocally identified by photo-interpreter personnel as a cylindrical balloon, made with black plastic bags." The letter does not explain how such a balloon could remain stationary or account for a white dome visible in the photos, leading to questions raised by Chiumiento in newspaper interviews.

More UFOs on Italian Television

Recent UFO-related programming on Italian television indicates renewed attention to the topic, stimulated by recent sightings.

• "DOMENICA IN" (RAI): A segment on November 11 featured a connection with the RAI office in Florence, discussing UFOs with journalist Alfredo Scanzani, witness Isidoro Ferri, and Corrado Malanga. The discussion touched upon the UFO-Ministry of Defense developments but was significantly shortened by the presenter.
• "RADIO ANCH'IO" (Radio UNO): On December 5, a broadcast curated by writer-journalist Nantas Salvalaggio was dedicated to UFOs. Participants included engineer Luigi Broglio, pilot Salvatore Marcelletti, and Hon. Martino Scovacricchi. Corrado Malanga and Antonio Chiumiento joined via phone. However, the discussion was largely sidetracked by conversational tangents, preventing a deep dive into ufology. Chiumiento's contributions focused on specific cases and contacts with the Ministry of Defense, reinforcing ufology as a serious field of study. His interventions were later broadcast on local radio in Trieste and he was interviewed by TG 3 Friuli – Venezia Giulia.

Conference in Brescia

A regional ufology conference is scheduled for February 17, 1985, in Brescia, organized by the provincial C.U.N. branch. Interested individuals can contact Massimo GRECO for details.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of "Notizie C.U.N." strongly emphasizes the importance of information dissemination and maintaining connections within the Italian ufological community. The publication serves as a vital hub for sharing investigation reports, cataloging cases, and discussing research methodologies. The editorial stance is one of active engagement, seeking to overcome the perceived fragmentation in the field. There is a clear focus on documenting and analyzing UFO sightings, including official responses from government bodies. The magazine also highlights the growing role of technology, such as personal computers, in ufological research. The financial struggles of ufological publications are a recurring concern, as evidenced by the suspension of "Notiziario UFO." The overall tone is one of dedication to the study of ufology, despite the challenges faced.