Polarquest2018 meets the descendants of the ITALIA Airship crew in Rome

On May 3, 2018 our project leader Paola Catapano presented the Polarquest2018 expedition to a delegation of descendants of the ITALIA Airship crew members at the headquarters of the Italian Geographic Society in Rome. The meeting was organised by Prof. Gianluca Casagrande, member of the Geographical Society and Polarquest2018 team member.  Honour guest was prof Massimo Inguscio, president of CNR (the Italian National Research Council), who gave the patronage to the expedition.
From left: Carla Schettino Nobile (grand-daughter of general Umberto Nobile) and her son Pietro Maria Vacca; Gianluca Casagrande of the Società Geografica Italiana; Pierpaolo Geissa (Grandson of Attilio Caratti); Filippo Belloni (Grandson of Filippo Zappi); Giuseppe Biagi (grandson of Giuseppe Biagi); Massimo Inguscio (President of CNR); Michele Tomaselli (grandson of Cesco Tomaselli); Paola Catapano (Polarquest2018); Laura and Paola De Grassi di Pianura (grand-daughters of Adalberto Mariano); and Sergio Alessandrini (grandson of Renato Alessandrini). This photo is taken in the room at the Italian Geographical Society where the ITALIA expedition was approved in 1928. (Photo: Flavia Ruggeri)

Laura and Paola De Grassi di Pianura, grand-daughters of Adalberto Mariano and Filippo Belloni, grandson of Filippo Zappi consulting the archives of the Italian Geographical Society, looking for administration documents linked to their participation in the ITALIA expedition in 1928.
The “Italian Polar Expedition” was given its formal approval in the same room by the then-Reale Società Geografica Italiana.

Adalberto Mariano and Filippo Zappi, together with the Swedish Malmgren, left the Red Tent on foot out of despair following several days with no response to Biagi’s SOS messages, which were being sent out every 55 minutes. They tried to reach land walking on the pack. (Photo: Flavia Ruggeri)

Petter Johannesen, descendant of Norwegian polar hero Roald Amundssen, shaking hands with Michele Tomaselli, grandson of Cesco Tomaselli, one of the guest journalists who joined the ITALIA expedition. Michele Tomaselli is also a journalist. In the background, Massimo Inguscio, president of CNR (Italian Research Council). (Photo: Flavia Ruggeri)