NQL Case File

Circumstances

Date of Disappearance

July 10, 1956

Notes

Cobianchi was a young student at the Eucharistic Seminary of Casier di Treviso at the recommendation of Don Mario Bisaglia. He was traveling with 34 other classmates to Domegge di Cadore for a holiday to explore the area’s popular natural and religious sites. They were hosted at the home of Don Francesco Barnabò, a local priest, and were waiting for lunch when they decided to take a short hike in the mountainous region past the lake. The group (accompanied by one of the priests from the seminary) visited the local church before wandering past the Piave along the Val di Toro road towards the Padova refuge. They had only gone a short distance (100m | 350ft) when they were told to return for lunch at around 11:45am. Cobianchi had wandered away from the group to walk in the woods but at the lunch call, some of the students saw him and told him lunch was ready. Cobianchi wanted to finish the climb up the last hill but promised to return to the group swiftly. When he failed to return, they began the search. Police were finally brought in that evening at around 6:00pm. Although the area was extensively searched, including the hills and nearby lake, there was no evidence of where Cobianchi had gone. Witnesses reported potential sightings in Domegge and the nearby town of Forni Di Sopra (about 35min. by car), but those could not be confirmed. The first sighting in Forni Di Sopra came from a local butcher who saw a boy he recognized from a photo of Cobianchi pass by his shop twice on July 13. The child stood out to him because it was not one of the local boys and because, when a group of other boys and some priests came by, the child headed off down a side path to avoid them. There was another siting in the city as well by a man who recognized the boy from a photo. He claimed to have seen Cobianchi walking in from of his workplace at approximately 2:00pm (14:00) on July 13 and then again at around 4:00pm (16:00). A month after he disappeared, a local said they saw him in Domegge once more. Then again on September 4, there was a potential sighting in Alleghe (about 80km away) by two women who recognized him from his photo. They attempted to speak with the boy but he responded with "niente capire", a phrase Cobianchi often used at the seminary. Two more women thought they saw him in Alleghe on the following day. They noted that as a seminary vehicle approached, the child hid behind a fountain.

Location of the Disappearance or Crime Scene

Street

Potential Circumstances

Alone, Hiking, Holiday, Out with Friends, Runaway, Vacation, Walking, Wild Outdoors

Vehicle

License Plate

Photo of Vehicle

Suspect

Suspect Description

Photo of Suspect