The tranquility of Carla's childhood was interrupted by the onset of World War II. Situated along the Adige River which flows through the Brenner Pass in the Alps, Appiano was squarely on the primary route into Italy from Austria and Germany. Allied bombing runs frequently targeted the railroad through the pass to disrupt Nazi Germany supply lines. At seven years of age, Carla's days were often spent in the darkness of the bomb shelters built into the mountain sides.