Spadolini, Giovanni (1925-1994)

Spadolini, Giovanni

POLITICIAN, HISTORIAN, NEWSPAPER EDITOR (ITALY)

BORN 21 Jun 1925, Firenze, Toscana - DIED 4 Aug 1994, Roma, Lazio
GRAVE LOCATION Firenze, Toscana: Cimitero Monumentale delle Porte Sante

Giovanni Spadolini studied law and when he was 25 years old he became professor of contemporary history in Florence. In his early years he was a memberof the Republican Fascist Party, he was against liberalism and he supported anti-semitism. After the war he changed his position and he held conservative as well as liberal views. He also supported Zionism.

He was editor-in-chief of "Il Resto del Carlino" in Bologna from 1955 to 1968. In 1968 he became the editor of "Corriere della Sera" in Milan. He held this post until he turned to politics in 1972.

He was elected into Senate for the republican party several times and from 1974 to 1976 he was a member of Italy's cabinet. In 1979 he joined the goverment again and from 1981 to 1982 he was the first Prime Minister who wasn't a member of the Christian Democratic Party. From 1983 to 1987 he was Minister of Defense and from 1987 to 1994 he presided over the Senate. After Francesco Cossiga resigned he was acting president of Italy for one month. In 1994 he lost the presidency of the Senate by a single vote. He died a few months later in Rome.

Images

The grave of Giovanni Spadolini at the Cimitero Monumentale delle Porte Sante, Firenze.
Picture by Androom (05 Feb 2011)