Everything about Valerio Ricetti totally explained
Valerio Ricetti (
October 4,
1898 — 1952) was an
Italian-Australian hermit who lived mainly in a cave in the
Griffith area for a period of 23 years. Working only at night and in the early morning hours so that he wouldn't be seen, he turned the cave into his own private "
utopia" complete with kitchen, chapel, landscaping, pathways, stone walls, stone stairs, paths, terraced gardens and cisterns for water supply.
Biography
Early life in Italy
Valerio Ricetti was born in
Sondalo, a municipality in the Province of
Sondrio in the Italian region of
Lombardy which is a part of the
Italian Alps, close to the border of
Switzerland, and located about 130 km northeast of
Milan and about 40 km northeast of Sondrio. Although Ricetti informed his life long friend Petronio Ceccato that he was born on October 4, 1898 he did at times adjust his date of birth so as to either get work, or receive adult pay rates.
As a young teenager he was apprenticed to become a
stonemason and
concrete worker, learning his trade in road and rail tunnel construction. Ricetti had always wanted to come to Australia and he was saving money for the trip, however his uncle, who had noted the impending war (which became
World War I), suggested he migrate to Australia before all passenger shipping was cancelled, and then lent him the money to travel. using the natural landscape and materials found in the area to create a
hermitage that stretched for over a kilometre.
World War II internment
With the arrival of
World War II state authorities put in place the requirement for
enemy aliens to register under the National Security (Aliens Control) Regulations, report to the local police station each week, and carry an identity card at all times. Ricetti was arrested on March 4, 1942 for failing to register and failing to report. His statement that he was unaware of the requirements was accepted by the local police, and the local police Officer-in-Charge reported that he didn't have a concern with Ricetti, noting that he was a
harmless mental deficient who lives the life of a hermit.
Military Police Intelligence of Sydney had different views however and demanded a search be conducted by local police of his cave premises. However they found no
literature of subversive or disloyal nature or any
prohibited possessions. Nevertheless it was alleged that Ricetti had lined the walls of one of his caves with newspaper reports concerning
Hitler which had a
swastika prominently displayed. Ricetti was interviewed by Military Police who noted that he lived
in the highest and most secluded locality in the District ... about a mile from the various petrol depots, electricity substations and water channels in the Irrigation Area ... and that he was
known to wander about at night and it was decided that he should be interned. He was arrested on May 3, 1942 at his cave and moved to
Liverpool Prisoners Of War and Internment Camp and then transferred to
Cowra Internment Camp and then transferred to Loveday Internment Camp, South Australia on April 21, 1943. Part of his internment duties included building roads in the area and with his skills he was able to assist his guards with ways to improve their road-building methods.
Ricetti’s cave home became known as
Hermit's Cave and has now been preserved with a listing on the State Heritage Register.
References and notes
Sources
Further Information
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