LAMPO THE TRAVELING DOG

One day about 50 years ago a dog appeared in the ticket office at the Campiglia station. A ticket agent named Elvio took a shine to the dog, named him Lampo and kept him inside the ticket office. When it was time for Elvio to return home on the train after work, Lampo would run after the train before giving up. One night he caught up with the train and found Elvio. After a visit with Elvio's family Lampo boarded the last train back to the station.
Lampo quickly learned all of the train schedules. He would ride home from work with Elvio every night and then ride back to the station alone. Every morning, Lampo arrived at Elvio's house in time to walk his daughter to school. The faithful dog would then take another train to Campiglia to spend time with his master, then travel again to accompany the child home from school at 11:30.
No one could explain why he traveled or how he always found the right train back to Campiglia. When the stationmaster threatened to call the dogcatcher if Elvio didn't get rid of the dog, Elvio put Lampo on a train going as far away as possible. After many months a thin, tired Lampo found his way back to Campiglia. From then on, he was allowed to ride the trains whenever he wanted. Lampo lived to be an old dog but one day was found dead on the tracks. A year later, a life-sized statue of Lampo was set up at Campiglia station.

Read his story or buy a likeness of Lampo in bronze (see video below)



Thanks, Steve for digging this one up.