Vittorio Foa, an anti-Fascist intellectual, labor union leader and senator whose life traced the trajectory of the Italian left in the 20th century, died Monday at his home in Formia, outside Rome. He was 98.
Walter Veltroni, the leader of the center-left opposition, announced his death to the ANSA news agency, speaking on behalf of the Foa family.
Born in 1910, Mr. Foa came of age under Fascism. In the 1930s, when he was in his 20s, he joined Giustizia e Liberta, or Justice and Liberty, an underground group of anti-Fascist activists in his native Turin. Many of them were, like him, Jewish, including Leone Ginzburg, the husband of the politically active novelist Natalia Ginzburg. Mr. Foa was also close to Carlo Levi, who wrote "Christ Stopped at Eboli."
In 1935, the Fascist authorities arrested Mr. Foa, with other Justice and Liberty leaders, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The Allies freed him in 1943.
In 1948, Mr. Foa became a leader of the left-wing CGIL labor union. In the 1950s, he was elected to Parliament as a member of the Socialist Party and later became a senator for other left-wing parties. A leading intellectual of the non-Communist left, Mr. Foa in the 1960s inspired some extra-parliamentary leftist groups. Over the years, he published dozens of books, articles and memoirs.
Mr. Veltroni called Mr. Foa "the model of a militant for democracy."
Mr. Foa's survivors include his wife, Sesa Tato; a daughter, the historian Anna Foa; and a son, the politician and journalist Renzo Foa.
On Tuesday, Italian newspapers were filled with tributes to Mr. Foa. In La Repubblica, the journalist Miriam Mafai recalled his impatience when asked what today's beleaguered Italian left should do.
"It's a waste of time and sense to try to define a leftist identity," Ms. Mafai recalled Mr. Foa's saying. "You have to do what's right and necessary for the country. It's up to posterity to decide whether it came from the right or the left."
New York Times, The (NY) - October 22, 2008
Walter Veltroni, the leader of the center-left opposition, announced his death to the ANSA news agency, speaking on behalf of the Foa family.
Born in 1910, Mr. Foa came of age under Fascism. In the 1930s, when he was in his 20s, he joined Giustizia e Liberta, or Justice and Liberty, an underground group of anti-Fascist activists in his native Turin. Many of them were, like him, Jewish, including Leone Ginzburg, the husband of the politically active novelist Natalia Ginzburg. Mr. Foa was also close to Carlo Levi, who wrote "Christ Stopped at Eboli."
In 1935, the Fascist authorities arrested Mr. Foa, with other Justice and Liberty leaders, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The Allies freed him in 1943.
In 1948, Mr. Foa became a leader of the left-wing CGIL labor union. In the 1950s, he was elected to Parliament as a member of the Socialist Party and later became a senator for other left-wing parties. A leading intellectual of the non-Communist left, Mr. Foa in the 1960s inspired some extra-parliamentary leftist groups. Over the years, he published dozens of books, articles and memoirs.
Mr. Veltroni called Mr. Foa "the model of a militant for democracy."
Mr. Foa's survivors include his wife, Sesa Tato; a daughter, the historian Anna Foa; and a son, the politician and journalist Renzo Foa.
On Tuesday, Italian newspapers were filled with tributes to Mr. Foa. In La Repubblica, the journalist Miriam Mafai recalled his impatience when asked what today's beleaguered Italian left should do.
"It's a waste of time and sense to try to define a leftist identity," Ms. Mafai recalled Mr. Foa's saying. "You have to do what's right and necessary for the country. It's up to posterity to decide whether it came from the right or the left."
New York Times, The (NY) - October 22, 2008
Vittorio Foa, an anti-Fascist intellectual, labor union leader and senator whose life traced the trajectory of the Italian left in the 20th century, died Monday at his home in Formia, outside Rome. He was 98.
Walter Veltroni, the leader of the center-left opposition, announced his death to the ANSA news agency, speaking on behalf of the Foa family.
Born in 1910, Mr. Foa came of age under Fascism. In the 1930s, when he was in his 20s, he joined Giustizia e Liberta, or Justice and Liberty, an underground group of anti-Fascist activists in his native Turin. Many of them were, like him, Jewish, including Leone Ginzburg, the husband of the politically active novelist Natalia Ginzburg. Mr. Foa was also close to Carlo Levi, who wrote "Christ Stopped at Eboli."
In 1935, the Fascist authorities arrested Mr. Foa, with other Justice and Liberty leaders, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The Allies freed him in 1943.
In 1948, Mr. Foa became a leader of the left-wing CGIL labor union. In the 1950s, he was elected to Parliament as a member of the Socialist Party and later became a senator for other left-wing parties. A leading intellectual of the non-Communist left, Mr. Foa in the 1960s inspired some extra-parliamentary leftist groups. Over the years, he published dozens of books, articles and memoirs.
Mr. Veltroni called Mr. Foa "the model of a militant for democracy."
Mr. Foa's survivors include his wife, Sesa Tato; a daughter, the historian Anna Foa; and a son, the politician and journalist Renzo Foa.
On Tuesday, Italian newspapers were filled with tributes to Mr. Foa. In La Repubblica, the journalist Miriam Mafai recalled his impatience when asked what today's beleaguered Italian left should do.
"It's a waste of time and sense to try to define a leftist identity," Ms. Mafai recalled Mr. Foa's saying. "You have to do what's right and necessary for the country. It's up to posterity to decide whether it came from the right or the left."
New York Times, The (NY) - October 22, 2008
Walter Veltroni, the leader of the center-left opposition, announced his death to the ANSA news agency, speaking on behalf of the Foa family.
Born in 1910, Mr. Foa came of age under Fascism. In the 1930s, when he was in his 20s, he joined Giustizia e Liberta, or Justice and Liberty, an underground group of anti-Fascist activists in his native Turin. Many of them were, like him, Jewish, including Leone Ginzburg, the husband of the politically active novelist Natalia Ginzburg. Mr. Foa was also close to Carlo Levi, who wrote "Christ Stopped at Eboli."
In 1935, the Fascist authorities arrested Mr. Foa, with other Justice and Liberty leaders, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The Allies freed him in 1943.
In 1948, Mr. Foa became a leader of the left-wing CGIL labor union. In the 1950s, he was elected to Parliament as a member of the Socialist Party and later became a senator for other left-wing parties. A leading intellectual of the non-Communist left, Mr. Foa in the 1960s inspired some extra-parliamentary leftist groups. Over the years, he published dozens of books, articles and memoirs.
Mr. Veltroni called Mr. Foa "the model of a militant for democracy."
Mr. Foa's survivors include his wife, Sesa Tato; a daughter, the historian Anna Foa; and a son, the politician and journalist Renzo Foa.
On Tuesday, Italian newspapers were filled with tributes to Mr. Foa. In La Repubblica, the journalist Miriam Mafai recalled his impatience when asked what today's beleaguered Italian left should do.
"It's a waste of time and sense to try to define a leftist identity," Ms. Mafai recalled Mr. Foa's saying. "You have to do what's right and necessary for the country. It's up to posterity to decide whether it came from the right or the left."
New York Times, The (NY) - October 22, 2008
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