Born 1 June 1909 in Minerbio, Father Luigi witnessed the struggles of farm labourers in the Bologna lowlands following WWI. At eighteen, after working as a carpenter, he decided to enter the seminary. He studied in Carpi and was ordained a priest on 11 September 1939, appointed parish priest of Burzanella (Camugnano).

In 1940, he was summoned by the Marshal of the Carabinieri for the ‘imprudent remarks’ made regarding the declaration of war. To avoid trouble, on Cardina‘s advice, he applied to be military chaplain but was rejected. In 1941, he advised parishioners opposed to military service to become voluntary conscripts in Germany. On 29 January 1942 he travelled to Saarbrücken as chaplain to the conscripted workers, defending the workers against fascist delegates and German officials.

After 25 July 1943, following disagreements with the German forces over the treatment of Italian workers, he was arrested in Neustadt and Heidelberg. After a brief stay in the hospital in Merlebaach, taking advantage of a bombing raid on Innsbruck, he crossed the border and used whatever means he could find to return home.

Having regained possession of the parish, he advised parishioners to answer the call of the Italian Social Republic ‘then flee with their weapons’ and go into hiding. Thus, the first armed groups were organised and, on his advice, an air-raid shelter quickly built by the Vezzano stream. In winter 1943 to 44, he sheltered a group of Jews from Bologna led by Italo Finzi and 40 missionary friars of the Sacred Heart.

In 1944, the number of partisans had grown, and Father Luigi joined Mario Musolesi’s Red Star Brigade. He lobbied German command to ease repression and secured release of many of those captured following the round up by Nazi forces on 19 July. On 26 September 1944, learning of the imminent German attack which culminated in the Marzabotto massacre, he unsuccessfully tried to inform Musolesi. He then left Burzanella with 2000 parishioners, heading towards Monte Acuto Ragazza.

After the war, Father Luigi helped many partisans find work and reintegrate into society. He was recognised as a combatant partisan, became involved in the Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d'Italia (ANPI) to preserve the memory of the Resistance, and opposed the early release of SS Commander Major Walter Reder. He also wrote a book about the massacres carried out by Reder entitled La Bufera. Father Luigi died on 17 May 2002, Bologna.