What was the Tipi Loschi Society?

The Society of the Tipi Loschi was a group founded by Pier Giorgio on May 18, 1924.  The group consisted of a few of his closest friends, both men and women.  The primary activity was the organization of hikes or mountain-climbing excursions or other such outings. 

The name of the group reflected the humorous nature of its existence.  "Tipi Loschi" can be translated to mean "swindlers and swindlerettes" or "shady characters" or "sinister ones."  Pier Giorgio went so far as to type up a formal statute for the group.  The document was written rather tongue-in-cheek and filled with inside jokes.  For example, the group's motto was "Few but good like macaroni."  Their patron saint was completely fictional - St. Pece of the Fools.  Members were forbidden to do silly things like import pepper and certain insects. He had a nickname for just about everyone in the group. For example, after his friend Ernestina took a trip to England, he began calling her "Englesina." Because his friend Franz liked to dress very stylishly, he nicknamed him "Petronius" (referring to Gaius Petronius, the judge of elegance for the Roman emperor Nero.) Pier Giorgio was given the name "Robespierre" by his best friend Marco - a name based on a key figure during the Reign of Terror in France.

Pier Giorgio's creative writing talents and sense of humor were frequently on display for the members of the Tipi Loschi.  He would issue "Proclamations" - his way of parodying the directives written during the French Revolution. Consistent with the mischievous nature of the group, he invented divisions to indicate where he was when summarizing travels or events for the entertainment of all.  For example, if he was at the sea visiting his cousins, the proclamation would come from the "Aquatic Section." If in the mountains, it would come from the "Mountaineering Section."  Pier Giorgio and Marco comprised the "Terror Section" (Marco being the "wing of terror" because he was in the airforce academy) and would often exchange cannon or torpedo blasts. 

Despite all of the playfulness surrounding the group, there was an underlying serious aspect to it.  Pier Giorgio primarily formed the group knowing that his friends were starting to go their separate ways as they were finishing college, marrying, beginning careers, etc.  His desire was that they would form a permanent bond through union in prayer and be a source of mutual spiritual support for one another as they met the daily challenges of life. In a very real sense, every group named for Frassati today is a fulfillment of his desire.