Beppe Porcheddu

In this gripping biography of Giuseppe (Beppe) Porcheddu his grandson, David Ross, pieces together the extraordinary strands of his short but action-packed life. Beppe was born into a prosperous family in Turin, Italy. His father, however, had been born in poverty but became one of Italy's greatest construction engineers. In 1917 Beppe volunteered to join the Alpine troops to fight the Austrians and Germans in the Italian Alps. Nearly killed by a grenade he made a miraculous recovery but could only walk with the aid of a stick. Despite a degree in architecture he was drawn to art. Self-taught, he soon achieved major acclaim and aged 27 he was knighted by the King for services to the arts. Marriage followed but with the rise of Mussolini, his anti-fascist views led to exile in France for him and his family. Returning to Italy during the build up to World War II, he relocated to the Italian Riviera where he was less well-known. Hiding his anti-fascism he became a key figure in the clandestine partisan resistance. He helped in the arming and organisation of the local partisans and his villa became a key meeting place. At great risk to himself and his family, Beppe sheltered two British Army officers who were escaped prisoners-of-war, one of whom was later to marry his daughter. Surviving arrest and interrogation by the Fascists, Beppe continued his partisan activities. With the end of the war, Beppe returned to his art but following the marriages of his daughters, he disappeared. With unique access to family papers and previously undiscovered records and letters, Ross has been able to shine a light on this complex, brave and highly-principled man and explore the theories into Beppe's mysterious disappearance.