THINK ABOUTIT UFO|ENTITY SIGHTING REPORT
Date: November 16 1952
Sighting Time: 0930A
Day/Night: Day
Location: Castelfranco, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Urban or Rural: Rural
Hynek Classification: CE-III (Close Encounter III) Close observation with animate beings associated with the object.
Duration:
No. of Object(s): 1
Size of Object(s): 20 meters
Distance to Object(s): 10 meters
Shape of Object(s): soup plates
Color of Object(s): gold or copper colored
Number of Witnesses: 1
Special Features/Characteristics: 3 human forms appeared in the interstice, dressed apparently in rubber like overalls, with transparent masks
Source: UFO in Italia
Summary/Description: Nello Ferrari, 41, a farmer, had gone to a lonely spot to relieve himself when he noticed a copper colored light cast on the grass. Looking up, he saw a gold or copper colored object like two 20 meter soup plates put together; in the center, protruding above & below, was a 5 meter metal cylinder, in which was something rotating, with a motor like noise.
It was only 10 meters above him. The two plates separated, and 3 human forms appeared in the interstice, dressed apparently in rubber like overalls, with transparent masks. They spoke words sounding like ‘Vereen—firg—unch,” then they retreated and the two plates closed with a metallic click. The hum grew louder, and the vessel ascended vertically.
Historical Significance: The 1952 Italian Wave
The experience of Nello Ferrari is a quintessential example of the 1952 UFO wave that swept across Italy, a year that remains one of the most active in European ufological history. The phonetic detail of the entities’ speech—sounding like ‘Vereen—firg—unch’—is particularly notable, as it mirrors other CE-III reports where beings attempted vocal communication using unfamiliar, metallic-sounding dialects. By documenting these specific interactions in Castelfranco, researchers can better understand the patterns of the era, where gold or copper-colored craft were frequently observed performing vertical ascents after brief, peaceful encounters with rural witnesses.
“Ultimately, the case of Nello Ferrari serves as a compelling piece of the 1950s UFO puzzle. The combination of a highly technical craft description and a brief, vocal attempt at communication distinguishes it from more ambiguous aerial sightings of the time. As one of the more detailed CE-III reports from Emilia Romagna, it highlights the rural nature of many European encounters where witnesses felt they were observing a methodical, almost scientific operation. Decades later, the Castelfranco sighting remains a vital reference point for researchers studying the physical characteristics and behavior of unidentified craft during the golden age of Italian ufology.
