Gortani Michele

GORTANI, MICHELE (Lugo di Galizia, 1883 - Tolmezzo, 1966)

Naturalist, Geologist, Ethnologist, Professor, Politician

In 1944-1945, during the Nazi-Cossack occupation of the area of Carnia, Michele Gortani was president of the Assistance Committee, a civil organization supervisioned by the Republican and Germanic authorities, that tried to avoid the retaliations of population and to ward off the Nazi plans to give the entire area of Carnia (Kosakenland in Norditalien) to the Cossacks. He had the idea of collecting in Tolmezzo all the objects with any artistic value and carry them, later, in the bell tower of Saint Francis´s Church of Udine. However, this project was never realized because of the lack of means and he preferred to leave the artworks in their own location.

Bibliography:
Biographical Dictionary of Friulians