PG 50 - Caserma Macao - Genova CavalleriaSheet by: Costantino Di Sante
General data
Town: Roma
Province: Roma
Region: Lazio
Location/Address: Viale Castro Pretorio - Roma
Type of camp: Prison/Interrogation centre
Number: 50
Italian military mail service number: 3300
Intended to: Officers; NCOs; Troops
Local jurisdiction: XVII Army Corps
Railroad station: Roma
Accommodation: military quarters
Capacity: 6 officers, 20 NCOs and/or Privates
Operating: from 05/1941 to 06/1943
Commanding Officer: Col. Vincenzo Boccacci (? - March 1942); Col. Oscar Ciolfi (March – April 1942); Lt. Col. C. Nappelli Mozzi (May – July 1942) Col. Giuseppe Cavalli (August 1942 – January 1943); Col. Oscar Ciolfi (February – June 1943)
Brief chronology:
May 1941: the «collection centre» was opened
October 1942: some adjustment works began
July 1943: the camp was closed
Allied prisoners in the Roma camp
| Date | Generals | Officers | NCOs | Troops | TOT |
| 1.3.1942 | 1 | 23 | 24 | ||
| 31.3.1942 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 17 | |
| 1.4.1942 | 5 | 10 | 15 | ||
| 1.5.1942 | 1 | 23 | 24 | ||
| 1.6.1942 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 28 | |
| 1.7.1942 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 1.8.1942 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1.9.1942 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 15 | |
| 30.9.1942 | 2 | 13 | 15 | ||
| 31.10.1942 | 3 | 11 | 14 | ||
| 30.11.1942 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 31.12.1942 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 31.1.1943 | 2 | 7 | 9 | ||
| 28.2.1943 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | |
| 31.3.1943 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 17 | |
| 30.4.1943 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 31.5.1943 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
Camp’s overview
In May 1941, the «Casermetta D» of the Caserma Macao (Macao barracks) in Rome was turned into a «collection centre» for «interesting» PoWs, especially pilots, generals and officers, so that they could be interrogated by the Servizio Informazioni (secret services) of the Italian army. According to testimonies, these interrogations were particularly brutal and often, to make the prisoners talk, the Italians resorted to physical violence (punches, blows with the knee, etc.).
PG 50, in some documents labelled also as Caserma Genova Cavalleria (Genoa chivalry barracks) was a transit camp. The PoWs, after a period of questioning, were moved to other camps.
The barracks were not a comfortable accommodation and, before the winter of 1942, the PoW office ordered some adjustment works in order to improve its hygienic conditions.
The «centre» was closed in July 1943. Today, the Raggruppamento Logistico Centrale dell'Esercito (Central Logistic Army Group) is quartered in the Caserma Macao in Viale Castro Pretorio.
Archival sources
- Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Ministero dell’Interno, Direzione Generale Pubblica Sicurezza, A5G, II GM, bb. 116, 117
- Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Ministero dell’Aeronautica, Gabinetto, b. 70
- Archivio Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, L10, b. 32
- Archivio Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Diari storici, bb. 840, 1130
- Archivio Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, H8, b. 79
- The National Archives, WO 311/317
John Edward Hughes