Claudio Gobbetti
(english traslation)
Upon completion of his training as Agrotechnic in S. Benedetto Po (Mantua), he studied theology at the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.) in Milan and pursued the Magisterium at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences (Padua).
In 1986, during the traditional fair in the village, he organized, in collaboration with the local youth, for the first time ever an historical exhibition in Governolo. Starting from that summer, his interest in the history of Governolo grew so much, that on the following year (in 1987), thanks to the financial support of some citizens of Governolo (aka “Governolesi”), he released his first publication "Governolo: a journey through history". This publication, now out of print, has become the most important reference for historical information on Governolo.
In the spring of 1996, he was invited as a guest speaker at the historic conference "King Attila and Pope Leo the Great", held at the Palazzo Ducale in Revere (Mantua).
Since 1982, he is also a member of the volunteer donors of blood and organs (“AIDO”) in Governolo and he has participated in the founding of the CLIC (a photography club).
Claudio now lives in Valeggio sul Mincio (in the province of Verona, just south of Lake Garda) since 1994. But his heart, he says, is often towards Governolo, the village in the province of Mantua, where he was born and lived the first thirty years of his life.
Today he is a high school teacher.
In Valeggio he is co-founder and a board member of the "New Culture CIAC" (Italian Centre for Contemporary Artists) and he is member of the socio cultural association "Friends of Castellaro Lagusello" (municipality of Monzambano, Mantua).
His favourite interests are: cultural traditions in danger of extinction, the story and dialogue among the great religions in the world, the story of Governolo and art in general. For all his interests, he prepared many PowerPoint presentations and videos.
Once, Claudio accidentally met the extravagant street painter Antonio Carboni aka "Antony" or "Carbantony", who became popular in the area around Lake Garda for his work and for having transformed his car in a "home" and an original palette, by inviting the children to sprinkle colours on it. Claudio got first acquainted with him and then became his friend. Inspired by this painter, who died in the summer of 2004, Claudio published (when Carbantony was still alive) the first biographical book, with the intent to make us reflect on the unique way of life of the artist. That extravagant painter also induced Claudio to have fun in experimenting painting new paintings.
During the summer, Claudio lives intense experiences, not only among the poorest of the developing countries, but also immersed in different religions and cultures.
In the summer of 1997, he was in India in the mission "Leper Colony" of P.Carlo Torriani,a PIME missionary known for his dialogue with captive-Hindu in a Hindu village near Mumbai.
In 1998, he was among the populations in Africa Baule, in the forests of northern Ivory Coast at the PIME missions of P. Graziano Michielan.
In the summer of 1999, after having visited the PIME missions in Thailand between populations Akká along the Mekong River and among the Buddhist monasteries of Chiang Mai and Bangkok, he moved to India for about a month in Calcutta as a volunteer among the sisters of Mother Teresa. In Calcutta he was followed by some young boys from Valeggio.
Later, in 2000, he was for about two months in Brazil between the PIME missions in Sao Paulo, followed by a brief stop in Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis and Salvador de Bahia. Finally, he spent a few weeks in the Amazonian forest with an interesting stage between the indium Waiampi. In December, he visited Paris with Vittorio Tonolli.
In the summer of 2001, was 42 days in the Philippine Islands at the PIME missions especially Mindanao island in the places where father Tullio Favali (1985), father Salvatore Carzedda (1992) and father Fausto Tentorio (2011) were killed. It should be noted that P. Tullio Favali, a native of Sacchetta of Sustinente (MN), was a close friend of Claudio. It was p. Tullio who first attended the Theological Missionary Institute PIME. In the Philippines, Claudio has experienced an intense experience near father Giorgio Licini, in the mountains of Mindanao in Arakan and near father Peter Geremia in Kidapawan (where not far away, in Tulunan, where father Tullio was massacred. Claudio tells us that it stopped a few days also in Zamboanga center to learn about the dialogue with captive-Islamic "An oasis of peace Silsillà" and Tagaitay Manila where there was the theological faculty of the PIME.
In the summer of 2002 Claudio went to Mexico, to the violent state of Guerrero, in the suburbs of Acapulco with P. Luciano Ghezzi and, on the mountains, in the villages of indium mixtecos with father Graziano Rota (mission Cuanacaxtitlan).
A few days before returning to Italy, he was stung by the dangerous Dengue mosquito (often fatal). He returned with a high fever and was immediately hospitalized at the Department of Tropical Medicine in Negrar, in the province of Verona. After hospitalization, he recovered very well although the virus that had affected him, although not contagious, could have been lethal.
In the summer of 2003 he was back in Africa, this time in Guinea Bissau. He was guest on the Bijagós islands by missionary anthropologist of PIME father Luigi Scantamburlo and in the capital, Bissau, by father Dionisio Ferrario and in Mansoa by father David Fool.
In the summer of 2004, he had again an experience with the missionaries of PIME, this time in Papua New Guinea (Oceania - Melanesia) where the Blessed One father John Mazzucconi was killed. After a period on the island of Goodenough in the missions of Bolubolu and Watuluma, he went to the mission of Wapipi on the Trobriand Islands, which inspired famous sociologist Malinoski in his studies. Next to the Bishop of Alotau, Archbishop Francesco Panfilo, he visited the island of Fergusson (Budoya, Nade, Si'ilugu, O'Oya), the island of Tewala, the island of Sanaroa and he made a short stop on the island Normamby Taulu. After a stop in Alotau, he went to the capital Port Moresby and visited the Parliament together with the former president of the Chamber of the Senate Hon. Naracoby. The "Missionary Laboratory of Lecco" published the book "Where few arrive" which resulted from the experience Claudio had in Papua in 2004 and reflects on the heroic journey of Father John Mazzucconi.
In the summer of 2005, he returned to India in Bombay (now Mumbai) with the young Simone Bernardelli from Porto (MN) to leave an intense experience of volunteering with the monks of Mother Teresa of Calcutta at the centre of care " Shanti Daan "district Gorai Creek Borivali. After surviving the cyclone which caused hundreds of deaths, Claudio told us that just before returning to Italy, they were given two days of holiday tourism: they have travelled more than 1,200 kilometres by train to Jaipur and visited the famous monumental tomb Taj Mahal in Agra.
In the summer of 2006 is again in Papua New Guinea (Oceania - Melanesia), where he went for two months with Emanuele Prandi, a young Bocconi graduate from Mantua.
He join the biggest festival on the Yula island before returning to the island of Goodenough and spending time among indigenous peoples in the PIME missionaries of Bolubolu and Kalauna. In Alotau he got to know the anthropologist father Franco Zocca (Divine Word Missionary), who will allow him to live an intense experience among the natives on the plateau of Goroka and in particular he witnesses the extraordinary celebration of the priestly ordination of the indigenous Michael Elms. It has been a guest in Kundiawa by father Angelo Fazzini (Salesian missionary) and Goroka by Bishop F. Sarego where he met the famous photojournalist Franco Tutino from Bolzano. Claudio has also managed to reach the mythical island Woodlark, where in September of 1855, blessed father John Mazzucconi was massacred.
Before returning to Italy, he stopped a few days in Manila and Tagaytay in the Philippines.
In 2007, Claudio, after having "wandered" to Sicily and to Assisi, suddenly invented himself a director and organized, with a large number of people, the representation of the historic meeting of Attila and S. Leone, which took place in Governolo in the year 452. The unforgettable show was performed on the night of Tuesday, August 28, during the fireworks on the river Mincio at the fair Governolo.
2008. Again a trip to Papua New Guinea, to the parish of Tokarara with destination in the capital Port Moresbay. In the month of July he was 21 days on the island of Woodlark without the presence of the missionaries by side, staying alone at a home for the PIME missionaries passing through the small traditional village of Kulumadau.
Before returning to Italy, he went to Hong Kong for a week, where he was hosted by the illustrious Mr. Ugo Conta (jazz, judo master, former manager of restaurants), who, with his wife May (soprano, piano teacher and director of the Academy Art Music and languages), welcomed Claudio with great respect and recognition.
In October 2008, the department of the Vatican (Pontifical Mission Societies) publishes the poster of the World Day missionary with a picture taken in Papua New Guinea by Claudio Gobbetti. Also, the same department publishes the 2009 calendar with photos of Claudio.
2009. After visiting Salzburg and Prague with his students, he went to visit London with the photographer Marco Campagna from Bolzano. In the summer he is back in Papua New Guinea and especially in Tokarara stops in the parish of father Giorgio Licini (Port Moresby), returns a few days on the island of Woodlark and visit the island of Loloata.
2010. He was invited to present his video documentaries on Papua on the anthropology course at the Academy of Fine Arts "S. Giulia" from Brescia and at the Cultural Association "Estremi lontani" Faculty of Foreign Diplomatic Sciences in the University Centre of Gorizia (province of Trieste). The return to Papua, during the summer months, allows him it to be the first Italian to land on the island Umboi in the Siasi archipelagos (ex Rook) exactly 158 years after the failed expedition of the PIME missionaries in 1852! During the expedition on the islands he was escorted from the locals Simukay Thomas and Michael from Kampalap. Before returning to Italy he stopped by Fr. Lino Pedercini in the mission village of Kurada by the islands Normamby. In June, the magazine "Il Gazzettino" devotes half a page on his biography.
2011. He returned to India with a former student, now graduate in medicine, dr. Carlo Cerini. The mission is the Ashram rehabilitation center "leper" Swarga Dwar Taloja (Mumbai) founded by Fr Carlo Torriani and now headed by Fr. Vijaykumar Rayarala (PIME). This year the experience was particularly unfortunate. After two weeks, Claudio got sick of hazardous tropical dengue fever that had already struck in 2002 in Mexico. One night, because of high fever, he fainted and fell to the ground breaking his nose! He was hospitalized 12 days to treat fever and to be operated to the nasal septum in the famous hospital in Kausa, Mumbra Thana: the "Kalsekar Hospital". It 'back to Italy with his nose healed and "redone", but tired from all that he has suffered during his stay in India.
2012. Claudio visits the camps for summer activities for young people organized by the Italian PIME missionaries in Mascalucia (Catania) and the field for street entertainment at the PIME missionaries in Ducenta (Caserta). In June, in collaboration with some of his students and their families, the project starts for the video story dedicated to the Blessed Mazzucconi and the rising missionary institute of PIME.
2013. After a year of intense work, on the evening of Friday, May 24, in San Martino della Battaglia (in the province of Brescia), Claudio presents for the first time to the public the video story "Blessed between the sky and the sea" dedicated to the first martyr of the missionaries (PIME) father John Mazzucconi. The video story, lasting an hour and a half, was produced and directed by Claudio with his students of the Art School "A. Dal Prato" of Guidizzolo (MN), ITC of Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN) and their families. It was amazing the enthusiasm of his students, all non-professional actors, in achieving this difficult project. 90 people have been mobilized, along with a sailing ship, a horse and carriage. To see the short trailer of the video presentation, please follow this link .
In 2013 he returns to Papua, where it stops by at the University of Madang and spends a few days in Goroka, Barawagi (Kundiawa) Denglagu Chimbu (odination fr. Cristian Sieland Bandaman) and Fatima (Amcng Jiwaka).
On the evening of Sunday, September 29, 2013, the documentary film dedicated to Blessed Giovanni (John) Mazzucconi was broadcasted in English on the national TV in Papua New Guinea (TV Kumbo).2014. - On February 3, Pope Francis receives as a gift, from the Superior General of PIME p. Ferruccio Brambillasca, the documentary film on Mazzucconi with a brief accompanying letter. Articles published on newspapers, including L'Osservatore Romano. After a week, Pope Francis, through his secretary, answers the questions from the letter written by Claudio. Previously, the video had been given to the pope by some parishioners from Rancio di Lecco through Cardinal Ravasi and the Bishop of Mantua. The video was presented in many cinemas, including the Teatro San Carlo di Asola, the Teatro Ferrini of Cologna Veneta and the Teatro San Luigi di Castel Goffredo . On May 6, Mattia Zamichele, a former student of Claudio Gobbetti, has received recognitions in Hong Kong for having played the role of the Blessed Mazzucconi in the video. He was received with honor at the Academy May Chau with Ugo Conta, by Cardinal John Tong of Hong Kong and the PIME missionaries. Sunday, September 21, the well-known weekly CREDERE (magazine with national distribution) dedicated a four pages special report to the video on Mazzucconi, with numerous photos and a special interview with the director Claudio Gobbetti. During the summer of 2014, Claudio realizes another important project: the video documentary of two hours on all the works exhibited in the Museum Diocesano F. Gonzaga of Mantua.
2015. - From April 29 to May 3, Claudio visited London with his former student Tiziano Revenoldi and there they met with Enrico Pantalena and former student Marzouk Ahmad Nabil. From July 6 to August 13, he went to India with his colleague Stefano Lusuardi, also a religion teacher, from the province of Reggio Emilia. He stayed at the missionaries of PIME in Andhra Pradesh and in Mumbai at the mission leper hospital Swarga Dwar. This year he dedicated two weeks to visit and research on the most sacred and famous places of India. He managed to visit: in the Andhra Pradesh the capital Haidarâbâd, Eluru, Khammam with the new sanctuary dedicated to Blessed Mazzucconi and in its final phase of the construction work, Calcutta in West Bengal where he met former student Stefano Mascagni, the capital New Delhi where he visited museums, the red fort and the most famous temples including the famous Akshardham, Mathura, Agra (Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's tomb etc.), Varanasi (formerly Benares) in Uttar Pradesh with the popular rituals on the River Ganges sunrise and sunset, Amritsar in Punjab with the famous Golden Temple of the Sikhs (Harmandir Sahib), the nearby Durgiana Temple, the memorial of the massacre of the British in 1919 and the ceremony at the border with Pakistan, Mumbai (Irla), Pune with the prison house of Gandhi, Aurangabad with the "mini Taj Mahal" (Bibi-Ka-Maqbara) and the nearby "caves" with the ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples of Ajanta and Ellora recognized as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO).
2016. In May, Claudio presents the video documentary dedicated to the Governolo Parish, which was reopened after the complex restoration, which followed the heavy damage suffered during the earthquake of 2012. On July 2, he walked along the boardwalk on Lake Iseo, the artistic work of Christo . Then, with the PIME missionaries, he travels to Cambodia visiting Father Mario Ghezzi and Father Gianluca Tavola. In Thailand, together with p. Ivo Cavagna he documents on Buddhist realities.
2017. In July, he travels to to Puglia (Alberobello, Ostuni, Grotte di Castellana, Salento, faraglioni di Sant'Anna), Matera, Grotte di Frasassi, Loreto, Lanciano di Chieti, Ancona. In August, he travels to Bracciano and to the Etruscan tombs of Cerveteri. Further, he was three times in the island of Capri. He dedicates documentary videos to almost all of these places.
2018. The project aimed at making documentary videos for teaching in schools begins. The project involved a group of his students.
2019. Claudio tells us that he was in Paris with his students, in Germany in the famous Neuschwanstein castle with Karan Bhullar and, in the summer, he left with a humanitarian convoy to the refugee camps of the former wars in Bosnia (Sarajevo, Mostar, etc.). On the return trip, he was hit by Legionella which forced him to be hospitalized in Mantua.
2020. Due to the Covid 19 coronavirus pandemic, Claudio’s activities are limited to making documentary videos with the recently purchased drone.
2021. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the great poet Dante Alighieri, Claudio makes a documentary video entitled “Homage to Dante: flying over the wonders of the river Mincio”. The debut was presented in the Bibiena theater in Mantua. The video was sponsored by Parco del Mincio and by the municipality of Roncoferraro (Mn). Under the direction of Claudio Gobbetti, Karan Bhullar (assistant technical collaborator), Giovanni Bernardi (actor in the interpretation of Dante), Chiara Prezzavento (text consulting), Fosca Gobbetti (tailor) collaborated. The original video lasts min. 65, the advertising trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUex4ZeZHIA
2022. Claudio was invited with great interest to project his video made mainly with the drone entitled “Homage to Dante” flying over the wonders of the Mincio River. The video was presented in 18 locations with recognition of various kinds from the municipalities for most of the Mincio Park.
2023. In spring he goes to Holland to make a video dedicated to the wonders of tulip blooms. In August he activated his personal YouTube channel called Claudio Gobbetti IRC dedicated above all to the cultural videos made by him.
Among his favourite hobbies, he remembers his performances as a magician which he practised, with some success, in the streets and theatres of Mantua until the age of 25. Moreover, he is known for his passion for photography with recognitions worthy of attention in the various competitions which he participated in.
A more recent passion is video footage and he creates real amateur documentaries (video editing), especially documenting: his volunteer experiences with the missionaries, Governolo and landscapes or cities that he likes to visit.
We recently learned that in Valeggio, in addition to painting, he devoted himself to the knowledge of orchids which he grows in abundance in his home. Also, he exercises "flying" on planes with his friend and experienced pilot Alexander Cavicchini from Governolo.
