The 1947 Roswell incident in New Mexico is perhaps the most well-known UFO crash in history, sparking countless debates and conspiracy theories. However, what if I told you that there was an earlier, lesser-known incident that occurred in 1933 in Italy, which could rival Roswell in significance? This is the story of the 1933 UFO crash in Italy: The Forgotten Pre-Roswell Enigma.
When we think of UFO crashes, our minds often drift to Roswell, but history has a way of hiding intriguing secrets. Could there be an even earlier event that involved a dictator, covert operations, and potential military cover-ups? The 1933 UFO crash in Italy seems to suggest so, and recent claims and evidence from researchers and former intelligence officials have thrust this mysterious incident back into the spotlight.
According to these newly emerging sources, a bell-shaped flying saucer met its untimely end near Magenta, a town situated to the west of Milan, on June 13, 1933.
The craft’s alleged recovery by Italian authorities led to its transportation to a nearby airfield, where it underwent examination by a team of experts, headed by none other than Guglielmo Marconi, the renowned inventor of radio. However, the first “UFO” case in Italy remained shrouded in secrecy, as the fascist regime immediately clamped down on the incident. Roberto Pinotti, the founder and secretary of the National UFO Center, has played a pivotal role in unraveling the enigma surrounding this case.

During a “Ufology” conference near Lake Maggiore, in Arona, Pinotti shed light on this intriguing piece of history. He explained, “The remains of the UFO, depicted in drawings as a cylindrical aircraft with a bottleneck at the end, adorned with portholes emitting white and red lights, were stored in the Siai-Marchetti warehouses in Vergiate for 12 years.”
What’s even more intriguing are the details about the occupants of the craft. Preserved in formalin, these otherworldly pilots measured 1.80 meters in height, possessed light hair, and had striking oriental-looking blue eyes.

It’s no wonder that Mussolini initially assumed they were German pilots, despite Marconi’s authoritative contrary opinion. Pinotti’s hypothesis adds a new layer to the pre-war period’s history, suggesting, “The Duce may have believed that aligning with Nazi Germany, possessing advanced and unprecedented aircraft capabilities, was more prudent than having her as an adversary.”
The UFO itself was reportedly constructed from an unknown, heat- and corrosion-resistant metal. It boasted a complex propulsion system and electromagnetic fields, far beyond the technological grasp of that era.
Intriguingly, Benito Mussolini, captivated by the phenomenon, established a covert department known as the “Gabinetto RS/33” (or RS/33 Cabinet) to study the saucer and its extraterrestrial technology. This secret department, under Marconi’s leadership, included scientists, engineers, and military officers, all working with the ambitious goal of reverse-engineering the alien craft for military applications.
Yet, their grand plans were thwarted with the conclusion of World War II, as Italy fell to Allied forces. According to some accounts, American troops laid their hands on the saucer and its remnants, shipping them back to the United States. These artifacts reportedly became part of a clandestine program tasked with collecting and researching multiple “non-human” flying saucers.
This program was supposedly overseen by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an exceptionally secretive intelligence agency specializing in spy satellites.
Recent revelations from David Grusch, a former NRO officer who claims to possess first-hand knowledge of this program, have shed light on its existence. Grusch asserts that he has encountered documents and photographs supporting the US government’s acquisition of various alien crafts over the years, including the one from Italy in 1933. He claims to have also spoken with other former intelligence officers who corroborate his account.
The 1933 UFO crash in Italy, though one of the oldest and most obscure cases in the history of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), might hold the key to unraveling the origins and intentions of these enigmatic visitors. Its significance could extend to the profound impact these encounters have had on human history and technological development, making it an important chapter in the annals of UFO lore.