Zanfretta UFO Incident

Italy’s strangest and most disturbing alien abduction case

Name	Zanfretta UFO Incident
Occurred on	Multiple incidents from 1978 to 1980
Seen by	Pier Fortunato Zanfretta
Investigated by	The Carabinieri and Rino di Stefano

“I know you are trying to come more frequently, but you have to stop. No, you can’t come to Earth. People get scared when they look at you. You can’t make friends.”

These were the words of Pier Zanfretta, the key witness and abductee of the Zanfretta UFO incident. He claimed he used those words to “warn” the aliens during their last encounter.

It’s not always that a contactee would have the courage to reproach the creatures who abducted them, but Zanfretta did. While other witnesses of extraterrestrial encounters would typically fall into either the extremes of being frightened or unusually calm, his experience left him more exhausted than anything.

But who wouldn’t be, especially after being reportedly abducted a total of 11 times?

Despite his adamant claims backed by hypnotic regression sessions, the Zanfretta case remains to be questioned today. What really happened to Pier Zanfretta during those years?

What Is the Zanfretta UFO Incident?

In 1978, stories of alien abduction were not entirely new, with the earliest well-known case reported in 1961. However, the Zanfretta UFO incident stood apart, as it was the first case in which extraterrestrials appeared to repeatedly target the same witness over decades, unlike later mass-witness encounters such as the Ruwa UFO Incident.

The Sole Abductee: Pier Zanfretta

All UFO witnesses had to prove their sanity to make their claims credible, else nobody would believe them—an evidently trivial consequence. However, for Pier Fortunato Zanfretta, the authenticity of his claim proved critical not only for clearing his reputation and proving his sanity but also for maintaining his profession.

As a young man, Zanfretta served in the navy, where he worked night shifts—a preference that would persist until his early adulthood, when he worked as a night guard patrolling Torrogilla, the village that would change his life.

He was 26 when he had his first encounter with the extraterrestrials.

The First Abduction: December 6, 1978

It was 11:30 PM, as Zanfretta recounted, when he just pulled into the unoccupied country house of a client, Dr. Ettore Righi, and his patrol car suddenly stopped. It was also at this time that he noticed four beams of light coming from the garden.

Thinking that they were from flashlights of would-be thieves, he crept out of his car with his revolver in his hand. He was slowly creeping along the wall towards the source to pounce on the trespassers when he felt something on his back.

The guard whirled around and was in for a surprise. Inches before him were several figures he described as:

• Green-skinned and frightful
• Mottled, undulating skin
• Yellow triangular eyes
• No less than 10 feet tall

In later interviews, he released more detailed descriptions of these beings:

• Points on the sides of their faces
• Red veins on their foreheads
• Unique apparatus covering their mouths, which he will mention, while under hypnosis, that he asked the creatures about, “Why don’t you have a mouth? You get only those irons with a net, which give out light.”

Zanfretta recalled sprinting back to his car when a blinding light washed over everything. He turned to look at the source and was met by a red, oval-shaped object he estimated was about 33 feet in diameter, hovering behind the house.

It was already 12:15 AM, when he called his employer’s center of operations. The company’s radio operator, Carlo Toccalino, answered, and later testified that the man was incoherently babbling through the call, evidently agitated and confused.

He asked Zanfretta what was happening and who was attacking him, to which the guard answered, “They aren’t men. They are so ugly! My god, they are so ugly!”

The Carabinieri’s Investigation and Other Witnesses

After the call, the security company immediately dispatched two additional guards as backup, who arrived at the scene almost an hour later and found Zanfretta lying stiff on the ground. They approached the man, but he suddenly leapt to his feet with his pistol pointed at them—a behavior that was unlike him, who was usually timid and rational.

Before anything could happen, the two guards rushed to disarm him, and that was when they noticed how warm Zanfretta was despite being out in the cold.

The guards found the event so disturbing that they called the Italian Carabinieri to investigate. The police discovered two horseshoe-shaped imprints on the ground, presumably from a heavy object, measuring 9 feet in diameter.

When asked for a statement about the incident, Antonio Nucchi, the Torriglia station’s commandant, stated he had every confidence that Zanfretta was telling the truth.

While he merely based his opinion on his familiarity with the man’s character, his belief was soon supported. It was revealed that 52 other residents reported seeing a bright glare around the area of the country house at the same time as Zanfretta’s experience.

One of the witnesses was a brigadier of the Guardia di Finanza, Salvatore Esposito:

• He was by his garage when a glaring light struck him.
• He thought it was his friend playing a trick by turning on his car’s high beam, so he asked him to turn them off.
• However, when he turned around, he saw that his headlights weren’t on and his friend was staring, wide-eyed, at the sky.
• He claimed that a huge flying saucer hovered above them.

The Media and Public’s Reaction

The media caught wind of what happened and immediately published articles tinged with skepticism. Despite all the other factors involved, the public’s opinion of the 26-year-old also centered on questioning his sanity. However, Zanfretta was adamant about what he saw.

People call me on the phone at all hours to play jokes on me. I don’t know what I saw, but I saw it. I’m not a liar.

The First Hypnosis: December 23, 1978

Most journalists viewed the Zanfretta UFO abduction as a hoax, except for one reporter. Rino di Stefano was a writer at Il Corriere Mercantile when he heard of what happened and got intrigued. 

I can state with certainty that he is a clear-thinking man with no strange fantasies in his head. When we went to investigate the scene the next day, he almost didn’t want to come. He was so scared. Only something exceptional could have frightened him.

Perhaps to satisfy his curiosity and prove the authenticity of Zanfretta’s story, di Stefano encouraged the guard to undergo a hypnotic regression.

The session was conducted 17 days after the initial encounter by Dr. Mauro Moretti, a member of the Italian Association of Medical Hypnosis and a psychotherapist.

Zanfretta relived the moment he had with the aliens. Here’s what was recorded:

Dr. Moretti: What’s wrong? Tell me. I’m here with you, and nothing can happen to you. Tell me what you see.

Pier Zanfretta: Why should I come with you? What do you want to do to me? … What are all those lights? … You’re not human beings, go away! … What are you putting on my head? … I don’t want to … Leave me alone … I’ll do as you wish … Give me proof … They won’t believe me … Go away! Go away! Take that thing off my head. Go away!

During this hypnosis, the guard also indicated that the creatures were called “Dargos” and were from a planet called “Titania,” located in another galaxy. He also claimed that they told him they were in search of another planet to live on because theirs was dying.

After the session, Dr. Moretti mentioned that he was also skeptical of Zanfretta’s story because it was so unbelievable. However, from a professional standpoint, the man’s demeanor, voice, and reactions indicated that he was telling the truth.

The Second Abduction: December 26, 1978

Three nights after the hypnosis, Zanfretta disappeared again. This time, he was passing through the Bargagli tunnel when he radioed, reporting that he had lost control of the car.

I’m surrounded by a thick fog. I can’t see anything. I’ve lost control of the car. It’s moving on its own and picking up speed.

The call was disconnected for a while before he radioed again, speaking in a more controlled voice, “The car has stopped. I see a big light. I’m getting out now.”

The security company handled the situation similarly to the first instance, sending two more guards. At 1:10 AM, the guards first found Zanfretta’s car without him inside, and only moments later, he was seen standing in the middle of an open field.

Like what happened on his first abduction, Zanfretta was found dry and warm despite the downpour. He was crying, “They say I must leave with them. What about my children? I don’t want to. I don’t want to.”

The Carabinieri’s Investigation

The police were again called to investigate. When they arrived, they were surprised to see steam rising from the man’s car. It was hot, both inside and out, as if it had been out in the sun all day. Additionally, the Carabinieri also discovered:

• 20 inches long and 8 inches wide footprints surrounding the car
• Zanfretta’s Smith & Wesson .38, lying in the mud, fired 5 times

When asked about it, the man had no recollection of who or what he fired it at.

Since the first reported incident, the police had also been working behind the scenes. The Carabinieri’s command sent two telexes to the Italian Department of Interior on December 8 and 28, 1978, informing them about both events, which they guaranteed had actually occurred.

On January 3, 1979, another document, labeled “Report on the Sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects by Fortunato Zanfretta,” was forwarded to the magistrate’s court in Genoa. It was meant as an inquiry into what should be done about the situation. A year later, on January 11, 1980, it was delivered to Magistrate Russo, who declared, “No crime committed.”

The Second Hypnosis

Zanfretta’s second disappearance gained much attention, and people began to question his sanity. To protect his credibility and the company’s reputation, the man was sent to another hypnotic regression. This time, it was televised on TVS for the public to watch.

During this session, Zanfretta recalled:

• The aliens forced him to strip and wear a strange helmet that allowed him to communicate with them.
• The aliens fired his gun into a panel to see if it could harm them.

People watched the hypnosis, but instead of proving his credibility, it only exacerbated the skepticism surrounding him.

To further clear his name, Zanfretta’s employer also sent him to Professor Giorgio Gianniotti, a specialist in mental disorders and the deputy head of neurology at the S. Martino hospital.

On January 31, 1979, he issued the following statement after talking to the guard:

At the request of the security institute’s management, I examined Mr. Zanfretta, aged 26, a security guard by profession, who was referred for a further neuropsychiatric examination. I found Mr. Zanfretta to be in perfect mental and neurological condition. The patient shows no alterations in thinking or psychosensory disorders, and his logical-critical abilities are normal. I consider Zanfretta to be unconditionally fit for his job and in no need of a period of observation, let alone therapeutic advice.

The Third Abduction: July 30, 1979

For the next six months after his second abduction, Pier Zanfretta had been recovering from the backlash he was receiving. However, just as the public started to forget, he disappeared again.

Zanfretta was patrolling the residential area of Quarto on his motorcycle. Residents saw him driving down one of the streets, turning a corner, then vanishing. When he failed to report and couldn’t be contacted, the authorities were alerted to search for him.

Two hours later, he was found at the peak of Mount Fasce.

It should be noted that there is only one road leading up the hill, and nobody saw him driving around the area, neither the security guards patrolling there nor the residents nearby.

The Third Hypnosis: August 1, 1979

Certain of the criticism he would face, Zanfretta insisted on another hypnosis with an expert. This time, he asked to be given sodium pentothal or the infamous truth serum.

Professor Marco Marchesan conducted the session at the Center for Medical and Psychological Hypnosis in Milan. While under the truth serum, he claimed he and his motorcycle were lifted to the alien’s spaceship, where he was given a short tour by one of the aliens.

There, he saw several large, clear cylinders filled with a blue liquid.

• One contained a frog-shaped body, which the alien claimed was an enemy.
• Another contained a bird-like creature.
• A third container had a body of someone who looked like a caveman.

Zanfretta then claimed the alien told him to come with them, but he refused, saying, “I don’t want to. I know you need me, but I have two children and I don’t want to leave them. I don’t want to go with you because you aren’t human. You are horrible!”

After this altercation, the man found himself on the mountain with no recollection of how he had gotten there, not until the hypnosis.

From this session, Professor Marchesan concluded:

No human being can knowingly lie while he is under Pentothal treatment. I think it’s very probable that Zanfretta had these encounters.

The Fourth Abduction: December 2, 1979

The next time Pier Zanfretta claimed he was abducted was on December 2, 1979, at 10:30 PM. However, this time, he wouldn’t be the only witness to these extraterrestrials.

After an alert was sent out, four other guards were dispatched to look for him in the hills around Genoa. While driving, they came across a large, strange craft hovering above them. The craft beamed two incredibly bright lights down on their vehicle, causing it to malfunction.

Two of the guards, Chief Lieutenant Cassiba and Gemano Zanardi, got out to get a better look. Lt. Cassiba became increasingly frightened by the sight and fired his pistol at it, sending it away.

Three months later, Germano Zanardi, who was reported to be unable to recover from the encounter, ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot to his head. A short note was found on the table beside his body, “I saw it.”

He was the only casualty connected directly to the Zanfretta UFO incident.

The Fourth Hypnosis: December 3, 1979

The very next day, Zanfretta was placed under hypnotic regression by Dr. Moretti and shared several interesting things. His recollection of the events started at 9:30 PM that day, when he was at a self-service gasoline station.

He claimed that he heard someone calling from the shadows.

• He was a humanoid figure with a bald, egg-shaped head.
• He was dressed in a checkered suit, which included a steel chest plate.

Zanfretta swore that the entity’s voice made him unable to resist what it ordered him to do. He was told to drive into a small cloud that whisked him into a large spaceship.

At some point during the hypnosis, Zanfretta said something confusing, “Where have you been? … What do you want to do in Spain? … But together? That will scare people!”

This statement initially confused the public until December 4, 1979, when the International Service of the Italian Press published a report about a Spanish dentist, Dr. Alfredo Sanchez Cuesta. He claimed that he saw a very brilliant UFO while driving in Guadalajara.

The Fifth Abduction and Hypnosis: February 14, 1980

The fifth time that he was abducted, Zanfretta was found by his colleague freezing in his car and in a state of shock. A villager corroborated this incident, saying that a few moments before the other guards arrived, he saw a brilliant balloon-like object in the sky.

When under hypnosis for this event, Zanfretta started speaking in an unknown language.

Ei chi snaua … si naila … isne ghe … il se lai … go ghe ti snau exi ghe … sci nis che ixi kai snake … chisnauag the … aiex piscinau kep na … tei sdei …

Dr. Moretti, who conducted the session, wasn’t able to control it. While he was asking questions, Zanfretta was said to appear as if he was contacting the aliens, “You can’t work out anything in a case like this. To believe or not to believe doesn’t mean anything. Each thing in its own time.”

Zanfretta’s Last Reported Abduction: August 13, 1980

During his last disappearance, Zanfretta was already under close observation and was fortunately found before the aliens could take him. However, he was still placed under hypnosis for the last time, and the session was illuminating.

Zanfretta claimed that the “dargos” gave him a sphere that he buried in an undisclosed location in the Liguarian Apennines. The only detail he remembered about it was that it had 12 inscriptions carved around it, but only eleven of them were lit.

What Was the Truth Behind the Zanfretta UFO Incident?

To this day, Pier Zanfretta claimed he had been abducted 11 times. Nobody has convincingly corroborated his stories, making the Zanfretta UFO incident difficult to prove or disprove.

Journalists and skeptics alike have shared their personal opinions about the incident and how it was handled, raising two fundamental points:

All for Notoriety

As with every other UFO incident, people initially claimed that Pier Zanfretta only wanted attention. The moment his story made him a media sensation, he continued expanding his narrative to prolong his time in the spotlight.

However, it should be noted that throughout his experience, Zanfretta was mostly criticized rather than celebrated. In fact, after the first two abductions, he ended up isolating himself, unable to handle the judgment of those around him.

In one of his most recent interviews, the guard shared how badly the whole incident affected him.

They took my gun away and subjected me to endless tests. But I wasn’t crazy. It wasn’t easy to put up with the disbelief and mocking looks.

Hypnosis Isn’t Reliable

Another thing that made the Zanfretta UFO incident compelling was the reliance on hypnotic regression to assess the witness’s credibility, which showed consistent, truthful results.

However, the sessions had been discredited by the public, saying that hypnosis and even the usage of truth serums weren’t reliable. In fact, these approaches had been associated with fabrication, as both had been proven to repress memories. Zanfretta could also have been easily susceptible to leading questions during these sessions.

What Is the Zanfretta UFO Incident’s Significance in Ufology?

To this day, the Zanfretta UFO incident is widely regarded as one of Italy’s most compelling and intriguing cases of alleged alien abduction. Although it occurred before such encounters became heavily sensationalized, the case still received substantial media attention, including the live broadcast of Zanfretta’s hypnosis sessions.

The incident illustrates how military involvement, psychological investigation, and media coverage can collectively shape UFO history. It also marks a noticeable shift in ufological focus, moving from external observations to a deeper examination of the witness’s internal experience.

Today, the case continues to appear in curated UFO reports and archived UFO documents, and readers interested in exploring its broader context can find related cases and analysis on UFO Connect, a growing hub for historical encounters and ongoing research.

FAQ

When did the Zanfretta UFO incident happen?

The entire Zanfretta UFO incident spanned years, but its first encounter occurred on December 6, 1978, when Pier Zanfretta claimed to have seen extraterrestrial beings and a massive UFO.

What did Zanfretta claim to see during the UFO encounters?

Zanfretta described greenish, hairy creatures with a mechanical apparatus covering their mouth. He also claimed they were called Dargos and came from planet Titania.

How did authorities and scientists respond to the Zanfretta UFO incident?

The Italian police investigated the case thoroughly and filed reports detailing what happened throughout the first two incidents. Later, Italian writer Rino di Stefano extensively covered the Zanfretta UFO incident and published a book about it.