Brusciano researcher reconstructs history of WWII soldier Luigi Sodano

Sociologist Antonio Castaldo has reconstructed the history of Luigi Sodano, a soldier from Brusciano who died during World War II. According to Castaldo’s research, Sodano served in the 1st Regiment of the 1st Bersaglieri Division 'Italia' within the Italian Social Republic (RSI).

Sodano died on February 11, 1945, at Quota 437 near Gallicano, in the province of Lucca, due to gunshot wounds sustained during combat. His death occurred during the final months of the conflict, a period following the September 1943 armistice when Italy was divided between Allied control in the south and German occupation in the north.

While municipal records in Brusciano list his birth date as March 20, 1919, the inscription on his family tomb in the Brusciano municipal cemetery lists March 2, 1919. Castaldo’s work is part of a broader effort to document the experiences of Brusciano residents during the war, including civilians, internees, and partisans.