Giuseppe Francavilla
Italy
My grandfather Joseph fought both world wars. The second as a lieutenant in the army. He was taken prisoner by the Nazis and liberated as a translator of French for them. He always had a great passion for foreign languages and in fact they saved his life. After that he flight in the United States to study and there he obtained two degrees. Grandfather Joseph was also an avid writer.
He wrote essays, short stories and was also a poet. In these photos you can see the typewriter he used, an Olivetti.
When my grandfather Giuseppe welcomed the guests in his study he always kept the door closed. And many times I stopped staring at his shadow from behind the glass. I always have the impression to see him every time his son Augustus, then my uncle, passes behind that door. It's a bit like seeing him again at home.