Mario Berlinguer
Encyclopedia
Mario Berlinguer (1891-1969) was an Italian lawyer and politician. He descended from a noble Sardinia
n family.
Born in Sassari
, in his youth he was a follower of the Meridionalist activist Gaetano Salvemini
. After his graduation in law he collaborated with the newspaper La Nuova Sardegna
and other Italian newspapers.
In 1921 he abandoned the Italian Socialist Party
(PSI) and adhered to the Italian Communist Party
(PCI), with which he was elected in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
in 1924. The following year he founded the clandestine newspaper Sardegna libera ("Free Sardinia") which attracted him the hostility of the Fascist regime. A friend of Palmiro Togliatti
, after the armistice with Italy
(September 1943), he left the PCI and entered the Sardinian Action Party
. For the latter Berlinguer was a member of the second government formed by Pietro Badoglio
in southern Italy.
In 1945 he was named to the National Consult and collaborated to the elaboration of the special regional status for Sardinia. He was a deputy for PSI from 1948 to 1953.
He was the father of Giovanni
and Enrico Berlinguer
, outstanding members of the Italian Communist Party
.
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
n family.
Born in Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
, in his youth he was a follower of the Meridionalist activist Gaetano Salvemini
Gaetano Salvemini
Gaetano Salvemini was an Italian anti-fascist politician, historian and writer.- Biography :Salvemini was born in Molfetta, Apulia....
. After his graduation in law he collaborated with the newspaper La Nuova Sardegna
La Nuova Sardegna
La Nuova Sardegna is an Italian local daily newspaper, based in Sassari, Italy.-History:It was founded in 1891 by Enrico Berlinguer, grandfather and namesake of Enrico Berlinguer, national secretary of Italian Communist Party....
and other Italian newspapers.
In 1921 he abandoned 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...
(PSI) and adhered to 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...
(PCI), with which he was elected in 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...
in 1924. The following year he founded the clandestine newspaper Sardegna libera ("Free Sardinia") which attracted him the hostility of the Fascist regime. A friend of Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti was an Italian politician and leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1927 until his death.-Early life:...
, after the armistice with Italy
Armistice with Italy
The Armistice with Italy was an armistice signed on September 3 and publicly declared on September 8, 1943, during World War II, between Italy and the Allied armed forces, who were then occupying the southern end of the country, entailing the capitulation of Italy...
(September 1943), he left the PCI and entered the Sardinian Action Party
Sardinian Action Party
The Sardinian Action Party is a regionalist social-democratic political party in Sardinia, which has recently sided with The People of Freedom, the largest centre-right party in Italy.-History:...
. For the latter Berlinguer was a member of the second government formed by Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino was an Italian soldier and politician...
in southern Italy.
In 1945 he was named to the National Consult and collaborated to the elaboration of the special regional status for Sardinia. He was a deputy for PSI from 1948 to 1953.
He was the father of Giovanni
Giovanni Berlinguer
Giovanni Berlinguer , Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , is an Italian politician and Professor of Social Medicine.He was born in Sassari, Sardinia, the son of Mario Berlinguer...
and Enrico Berlinguer
Enrico Berlinguer
Enrico Berlinguer was an Italian politician; he was national secretary of the Italian Communist Party from 1972 until his death.-Early career:...
, outstanding members of 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...
.