Partigiano Dheli
1917 - 1944

Gianni Alessandria was born in Diano d'Alba on December 21st, 1917 from a wealthy family. His father Domenico, former sergeant of the mounted Carabinieri, managed the post office with his mother Bollano Caterina.

On June 11th, 1940, at the start of the Second World War, he took part in the operations carried out at the Western Alpine Frontier with the third Alpine regiment. The captain then took command of the "Tirano" Battalion of the fifth Alpine Regiment, mobilized on 18 January 1941, with participation in the war operations that took place on the Greek Albanian border.

During these operations he contracted rheumatic fever which forced him to be hospitalized several times in the field hospital.

On 20 July 1942 he left for the Russia campaign.

Even if the campaign was a defeat, he was the protagonist of the "hopeless victory" of Nikolajewka's, allowing hundreds of Italian soldiers to retreat. Wounded, he did not give up the fight and with the few remaining survivors he contributed effectively to the conquest of a strongly defended town.

He was therefore decorated with the silver medal for Military Valor on the Russian front.

He will later bring his valid experience and his decisive contribution to the Constituent Committee of the Justice and Freedom partisan formations of the Langhe.

With the battle name Dheli he will become the commander of the VII Justice and Freedom Band which then became known as the II Brigade of the X Langhe Division, later named "Gianni Alessandria" brigade, after him.

He died in a tragic ambush in Canale on August 6th, 1944.