Giorgio Amendola
Encyclopedia
Giorgio Amendola was an Italian
writer and politician.
Born in Rome
in 1907, he was the son of Lithuanian intellectual Eva Kuhn and Giovanni Amendola
, a liberal anti-fascist who died in 1926 in Cannes
after having been attacked by killers hired by Benito Mussolini
. As a result, Amendola secretly joined the Italian Communist Party
in 1929 and, after graduating in law, started to propagandize opposition to the Mussolini regime.
Arrested and brought in exile in France
, and successively banished to Santo Stefano Island
in the Pontine archipelago
, he was freed in 1943 by the resistance troops
, which he then joined.
After World War II, Amendola served as deputy for the Italian Communist Party from 1948 until his death in 1980. He became known (especially in the 1970s) as one of the leaders of the party's right wing, which espoused gradual removal of Marxist
ideals and supported alliances with the more moderate parties, especially the Italian Socialist Party
. One of his main allies was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
called Giorgio Napolitano
.
From 1967, Amendola also started to work as a writer; his most notable books include Comunismo, antifascismo e Resistenza ("Communism, anti-fascism and resistance", 1967), Lettere a Milano ("Letters to Milan", 1973), Intervista sull'antifascismo ("Interview on anti-fascism", 1976, with Piero Melograni), Una scelta di vita ("A choice of life", 1978), and Un'isola ("An island", 1980), considered his best work.
Amendola died in Rome, aged 73, after a long illness. His wife Germaine Lecocq, who he met during his French exile in Paris
and who helped him to write his last work, died a few hours after Amendola.
Today, Giorgio Amendola is regarded and often cited as one of the main precursors of the Olive Tree
. His ally Giorgio Napolitano
later became the President of the Italian Republic
and remains an avowed disciple and follower of Amendola.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
writer and politician.
Born in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1907, he was the son of Lithuanian intellectual Eva Kuhn and Giovanni Amendola
Giovanni Amendola
Giovanni Amendola was an Italian journalist and politician, noted as an opponent of Fascism....
, a liberal anti-fascist who died in 1926 in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
after having been attacked by killers hired by Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. As a result, Amendola secretly joined the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
in 1929 and, after graduating in law, started to propagandize opposition to the Mussolini regime.
Arrested and brought in exile in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and successively banished to Santo Stefano Island
Santo Stefano Island
Santo Stefano is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of Italy, and part of the Pontine Islands. It has a circular shape, is less than 400 metres in diameter, and is located 2 kilometres east from the nearby island of Ventotene....
in the Pontine archipelago
Pontine Islands
The Pontine Islands are an archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of Italy. The islands were collectively named after the largest island in the group, Ponza. The other islands in the archipelago are Palmarola, Zannone,...
, he was freed in 1943 by the resistance troops
Italian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
, which he then joined.
After World War II, Amendola served as deputy for the Italian Communist Party from 1948 until his death in 1980. He became known (especially in the 1970s) as one of the leaders of the party's right wing, which espoused gradual removal of Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
ideals and supported alliances with the more moderate parties, especially the Italian Socialist Party
Italian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
. One of his main allies was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
called Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician who has been the 11th President of Italy since 2006. A long-time member of the Italian Communist Party and later the Democrats of the Left, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and as Minister of the Interior from 1996 to...
.
From 1967, Amendola also started to work as a writer; his most notable books include Comunismo, antifascismo e Resistenza ("Communism, anti-fascism and resistance", 1967), Lettere a Milano ("Letters to Milan", 1973), Intervista sull'antifascismo ("Interview on anti-fascism", 1976, with Piero Melograni), Una scelta di vita ("A choice of life", 1978), and Un'isola ("An island", 1980), considered his best work.
Amendola died in Rome, aged 73, after a long illness. His wife Germaine Lecocq, who he met during his French exile in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and who helped him to write his last work, died a few hours after Amendola.
Today, Giorgio Amendola is regarded and often cited as one of the main precursors of the Olive Tree
Olive Tree
The Olive Tree was a denomination used for several successive centre-left Italian political coalitions from 1995 to 2007.The historical leader and ideologue of these coalitions was Romano Prodi, Professor of Economics and former leftist Christian Democrat, who invented the name and the symbol of...
. His ally Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician who has been the 11th President of Italy since 2006. A long-time member of the Italian Communist Party and later the Democrats of the Left, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and as Minister of the Interior from 1996 to...
later became the President of the Italian Republic
President of the Italian Republic
The President of the Italian Republic is the head of state of Italy and, as such, is intended to represent national unity and guarantee that Italian politics comply with the Constitution. The president's term of office lasts for seven years....
and remains an avowed disciple and follower of Amendola.