On October 9, or 29, 1984, at 03:30 a.m., Isidoro Ferri, a doorman at the Villa la Radicchia, in Polcanto, close to Florence, Italy, was normally sleeping with his son and other relatives in his bedroom when he was awaken by a strong light on his face.
Initially, he did not understand the origin of the light, then he saw for a few moments that it came from an individual of humanoid appearance at a distance of approximately 40 meters, apparently on a nearby hill, who had some sort of powerful flashlight or beacon on the head. It is not specified whether Ferri was still in bed in the house or outside or at the window at that time.
Ferri first thought it was a poacher but suddenly he changed his mind, as the figure disappeared in a fog or in a blur, or gave place, to a dark horizontal line, under which three flames went down towards the ground.
Other summaries indicate it was some sort of luminous cupola looking like "fire", which searched the area with beams of light, replaced suddenly after a few minutes and an enormous blinding white light that started to approach, illuminating the entire area as in full daylight.
Some sources say the witness tried to approach the window, but he remained paralyzed before he arrived there, until the light seemed sucked back. One source indicates he was paralyzed by fear.
A red sphere then appeared, which had an intermittent light that hurt the witness' eyes, and he had red and irritated eyes during several days. This glowing red sphere is said to have disappeared behind hills in the direction to Vaglia.
The dog, who slept outside, had not barked. He showed an abnormal behavior by refusing any food during several days and by staying inside its doghouse during the two next weeks, without barking after passers-by.
In the surroundings, three circular holes of 10 centimeters diameter and 3 centimeters depth forming an irregular triangle of 2 meters of side approximately, were discovered, where the grass seemed to have undergone a pressure, but no radioactivity was detected.
An investigation report into this case was written by Pier Luigi Sani. A newspaper recalls that the witness appeared in one TV interview with the Ministry of Defense, and policemen and other people insisted his testimony was in good faith; some source say that other people saw a red light in the sky that night.
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[Ref. er1:] EDOARDO RUSSO:
Italian ufologist Edoardo Russo indicates that on October 9, 1984, at 03:30 a.m., a caretaker of Polcanto, close to Florence, was awaked by a light coming from his window.
He saw during a few moments, on a nearby hill, a dark human form, from the face of whom came a beam like that from a flashlight.
This form disappeared, while a dark horizontal line was visible, under which three flames went down towards the ground.
This phenomenon disappeared suddenly after a few minutes and an enormous blinding white light started to approach, illuminating the entire area as in full daylight.
The witness tried to approach the window, but he remained paralyzed before he arrived there, until the light seemed sucked back.
A red sphere then appeared, which had an intermittent light that hurt the witness' eyes, and he had red and irritated eyes during several days.
The dog, who slept outside, had not barked. He showed an abnormal behavior by refusing any food during several days and by staying inside its doghouse during the two next weeks, without barking after passers-by.
In the surroundings, three circular holes of 10 centimeters diameter and 3 centimeters depth forming an irregular triangle of 2 meters of side approximately, were discovered, where the grass seemed to have undergone a pressure.
No radioactivity was recorded.
The author indicates that the most complete investigation report into this case is that of Pier Luigi Sani.
The following sketch by the investigator is provided:
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[Ref. st1:] "STARMAN":
As an example of effects of unusual luminous radiations, such as the emission and reabsorption of lights or beams of lights, the author indicates a case in Polcanto, in Florence, in October of 1984. The witness, gatekeeper aged 40, stated that at 3 'clock in the morning he saw how a UFO emitted a light that advanced slowly towards him, illuminating the area as if in daylight. But soon the lighting returned back with equal slowness until being completely reabsorbed.
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in Polcanto, Italy, on October 9, 1984, at 0330 a.m., a light shining through his window suddenly awakened the witness; he then saw a tall dark human-like figure standing on a nearby hill. From the being's forehead shone a bright torch like beam.
The figure suddenly vanished.
In its place remained a dark horizontal line and three flames beneath it descending towards the ground. After a few minutes this disappeared also and a bright white light appeared and began approaching the witness location.
The witness had difficulty moving but finally was able to reach the window.
The white light suddenly vanished and a flashing red sphere appeared. The witness eyes were apparently affected and remained irritated for a few days afterwards. Investigators found extensive ground traces.
Albert Rosales indicates that the source is Edoardo Russo, in FSR Volume 30 #4.
[Ref. ag1:] SIMONE G.:
In a listing of Italian UFO cases, this web author indicates:
| Date | 29/10/1984 |
|---|---|
| Place | Polcanto Villa la Radicchia (FI) |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Type | CEIII |
[Ref. su1:] S.U.F. ARCHIVE:
The file in the S.U.F. archive indicates that in Polcanto, at the Villa la Radicchia, Firenze, on October 29, 1984, at 03:30 a.m., Isidoro Ferri had an encounter of the third kind.
In the night between October 29th and 30th, 1984 Mr Ferri was calmly sleeping in company of his son and other relatives, when without warning a very strong light hit him in the face and woke him up.
Initially, he did not understand the origin of the light, then he saw that it came from an individual of humanoid appearance at a distance of approximately 40 meters, with a powerful beacon on the head. It is not specified whether Ferri was still in bed in the house or outside.
Ferri first thought it was a poacher but suddenly he changed his mind.
After a few seconds the character disappeared in the fog, and some sort of luminous cupola looking like "fire" appeared; it searched the area with beams of light.
The witness remained paralyzed from fear, and the light finally disappeared by being sucked back. Where the light had been, there remained a glowing red globe which went away behind hills.
The following sketch is provided:
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[Ref. na1:] LA NAZIONE:
It was one of the most debated cases amongst investigators
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[Ref. an1:] ANONYMOUS WEB PAGE:
An Italian-speaking anonymous web page indicates that in Polcanto, at the Villa la Radicchia (Firenze), on October 9, 1984 at approximately 03:30 in the night, Mr. Ferri, a peasant, was calmly sleeping together his son when a strongly light penetrated from the window, hit him in full face, waking him up it.
After a moment of shock, he decided to look outside and succeeded to catch a glimpse of a human shape with a beacon on the in head directed towards the witness.
The witness thought it was a poacher, but he had hardly thought about that when the shape disappeared, and in its place, a phenomenon luminous appeared, similar to a dome that carefully searched the area with light beams.
Ferri thought it could be a fire, but he changed his mind when he noticed that the light was stable and compact. Then a beam of light hit him in the face, as he had been standing at the window to observe the phenomenon.
Ferri remained like paralyzed until that light disappeared "like the screen of a television set."
After all that, a sphere of an intense brightness, so bright that he was unable to look at it, that appeared on his right and disappeared behind the mounts in direction of Vaglia.
Ferri remained in a state of confusion for several days. Close to the villa, prints on the soil were discovered. Moreover, many witnesses had noticed a red light in the sky that night.
There it is a case to keep in mind in the discussions about the topic of the truncated rays of light.
As for the case, it is regrettable that I have only probably very summarized reports, with their lack of precision and contradictions. It is not even told if the witness slept downstairs or upstairs, or how he would have seen a being at 40 meters if he was still in bed.
As the case stands, it is an experience in which the witness is initially sleeping, at night.
A hypnagogic hallucination thus cannot be excluded; prompted perhaps by headlights of a car, or some other lighting used exceptionally at this place outside and causing an abnormal semi-wake-up favorable to the hypnagogic hallucination with "sleep paralysis". This could then explain this indistinct humanoid "form" which seems to be replaced in a not very well-specified manner by the great light outside. This light could have been partially from the hallucination, and become a red object flying away behind the mountains as the witness takes again the waking state, a plane for example.
A person living such an experience can be terribly impressed because such experiences can actually be terribly impressive. A person having experienced that is obviously in good faith.
The anomalies of the dog's behavior are obviously less explainable in such manner. The traces on the ground could be just anything.
It is quite possible that a formal and sufficiently serious and complete investigation report gives reasons to reject such an explanation; but in its absence, I do not see why it should be excluded.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | February 1, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Investigation report by Pier Luigi Sani not available. | Help needed. | Opened. |
Extraterrestrial visitor or hypnagogic hallucination with sleep paralysis and possible confusions. Insufficient data.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 1, 2007 | Creation, [er1], [st1], [ar1], [sg1], [su1], [na1], [an1]. |
| 0.2 | Patrick Gross | February 1, 2007 | First published. |
| 0.2b | Patrick Gross | February 2, 2007 | Addition of several unavailable references in the bibliography. |
