Maurizio Verga

Background

Maurizio Verga was born in 1963 in Como, Italy, and has been actively studying the UFO phenomenon since 1976—dedicating nearly fifty years to rigorous investigation of Italian and European sightings. By profession an entrepreneur in e-business services for the Italian fashion industry, Verga brought a methodical, data-driven approach to ufology when most research remained anecdotal and poorly organized.

CISU and Organizational Leadership

In 1985, Verga co-founded the Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU), establishing it as Italy's premier UFO research organization. CISU grew from a merger of three existing initiatives—the Centro Ufologico Nazionale (CUN), the UPIAR Cooperative, and Clypeus editorial—unifying Italy's fragmented ufology community. Under his direction, CISU developed three major cataloging projects: ITACAT (Italian close encounters), TRACAT (ground trace cases), and PHOTOCAT (photographic cases)—among the most comprehensive databases of European UFO incidents.

Pioneer of Computer-Based Ufology

During the 1980s, when most UFO researchers relied on paper files and personal libraries, Verga pioneered the application of personal computers to UFO data analysis—making CISU's archive one of the first digitized and searchable UFO databases in the world. In 1996, he created UFO.it, the first Italian internet site dedicated to UFO research, followed by the UPIAR Electronic UFO Bookstore. These digital platforms made Italian ufological research accessible to international researchers and set a template for evidence-based, publicly available UFO documentation.

Published Works and Expertise

Verga has authored numerous articles, monographs, and books in Italian and English. His major English-language publications include When Saucers Came to Earth (2008), the first comprehensive account of Italian UFO landing cases through 1954, drawing on primary sources and meticulous case analysis. Followed by Flying Saucers in the Sky (2020), examining the origins and early manifestations of the UFO phenomenon in 1947. A revised collector's edition, UFO – When Flying Saucers Touched Down, expanded and refined this work in 2021.

Verga has also established himself as the leading international expert on Nazi UFO mythology and folklore. Co-authored with Giuseppe Stilo, Gli UFO nazisti – La storia e la mitologia (2016) is a comprehensive scholarly treatment of Nazi UFO legends, separating historical claims from Cold War propaganda. He maintains the online resource naziufos.com, a detailed bibliography and archive on the subject.

Impact and Legacy

Verga's work exemplifies the international and rigorous approach to UFO research that emerged in Europe during the late Cold War. While North American ufology often emphasized government secrecy and conspiracy, Verga's methodology focused on case documentation, source evaluation, and cross-cultural comparison. His digitization of Italian UFO records and pioneering use of information technology positioned CISU as a model for evidence-based international ufology. His publications have introduced English-speaking researchers to a neglected archive of European close encounters and established him as a bridge between Italian ufology and the global disclosure movement.