[vc_column_textThis article, written on 26 February and updated on 2 March 2025, is dedicated to Enrico Albertini.
Gianni Albertini, Enrico’s father, was my great uncle; the husband of my beloved grandmother Luisa Quintavalle‘s twin sister, Aunt Ida Quintavalle in Albertini.
There are various descriptive writings about him, also on the web.
An exhibition on Gianni Albertini’s expedition to Svalbard has already been held in Rome.
Last summer – in July 2024 – I was in Svalbard with part of my family and, talking to one of the two guides, I mentioned to her the expedition of my explorer great-uncle, aboard the whaler Heimen – Sucai.
One day, to my surprise, after many stories told on board the boat we were on, about the history of the region, the Swedish, British or Norwegian explorers, at the two poles, and a tasty viewing of the old film“The Red Tent” about Umberto Nobile‘s expedition, I was told that we were in “Albertlinibutka” , i.e. Albertini Bay, located at the northernmost tip of Svalbard.
It was a very important moment for me: after the writing and presentations of my book “Le Ossa dei Caprotti ” published by Feltrinelli, I began a journey of re-evaluation of my family.
In that magical context – below you can see some pictures of the bay – the figure of my great-uncle contributed substantially to ending this existential journey of reconciliation and forgiveness.
I immediately wrote to Gianni’s son, Enrico, telling him that I would add some text about his father to the future paperback edition of my book.
But perhaps, given the stature of the person, ‘Uncle Gianni’, like some other relatives with a glorious past, deserves a text of his own.
In the meantime, I can only add that I would have loved Enrico to be with me to hear what will be said on 18 March, but unfortunately he left us a few days after I had been in Svalbard.
Thanks to Giovanna Albertini in D’Urso for the organisation and invitation.
Tuesday 18 March 2025, 2.30 p.m
Conference
Engineer Albertini’s great voyage to the Arctic Seas
The Arctic expedition of the ship HEIMEN-SUCAI led by mountaineer and explorer Gianni Albertini between May and September 1929 had started as a search and rescue operation for possible survivors of the airship ITALIA that had gone missing the year before.
Although it did not achieve its objective, it became a page in the history of exploration, bringing new geographical and scientific knowledge. The event, organised by the Italian Geographic Society and GREAL of the European University of Rome in collaboration with the ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Museum of Science and Technology and under the patronage of the Società Storica Lombarda ETS, will recount the expedition, its legacy and the historical context in which it took place.
Highlights will include the shipwreck of the airship ITALIA, the HEIMEN-SUCAI ship’s logbook, film evidence of the time and the scientific settlement on Svalbard from the historic explorations to the present day.
The initiative will offer the public a moment of reflection to rediscover a singular adventure in the Arctic regions.
14:30 Institutional greetings
Fiorenzo Marco Galli, General Director of the National Science and Technology Museum in Milan;
Giuseppe Muti, Regional Trustee for Lombardy of the Italian Geographic Society.
Speakers:
Marco Iezzi, National Science and Technology Museum –
The shipwreck of the Dirigibile Italia and the men who never knew the Red Tent;
Gianluca Casagrande, Italian Geographic Society – The HEIMEN- SUCAI in the Arctic Seas. Geohistorical considerations;
Roberto Sparapani, National Research Council – Exploration and scientific settlement on the Svalbard Islands;
Roberta Rodelli, European University of Rome – The start of the transcription of the HEIMEN-SUCAI logbook;
Christian Cinetto, Documentarist – Handle silence with care. The gaze on film by Umberto Della Valle.
Moderator: Paola Catapano, CERN and Association Polarquest (Geneva).
Organisational coordination:
Roberta Rodelli and Francesco Battaglini
Participation is free of charge but registration is required via
Sala Biancamano, Padiglione Aeronavale – Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum Entrance via Olona, 6, 20123 Milan
For further information: Società Geografica Italiana – Via della Navicella 12, 00184, Roma -Tel. 06 700 8279 – Mail: segreteria@societageografica.it[/vc_column_text]
