Aldo Moro

Aldo Moro was the ultimate political architect of Italy's post-war republic, a cerebral and patient negotiator who believed democracy required embracing its extremes. A law professor turned politician, he rose through the ranks of the dominant Christian Democracy party, serving as Prime Minister five times during the turbulent 1960s and 70s. His defining project was the 'Historic Compromise,' a controversial strategy to bring the powerful Italian Communist Party (PCI) into the democratic fold through a gradual alliance. To Moro, this was a necessary step to stabilize a country rocked by social unrest and terrorist violence from both left and right. His conciliatory approach, however, made him enemies across the spectrum. In March 1978, on the very day a new government relying on communist parliamentary support was being formed, Moro was kidnapped in Rome by the far-left Red Brigades. For 55 days, the nation watched in horror as he pleaded for his life in letters from a 'people's prison.' The state, fearing capitulation to terrorists, refused to negotiate. His bullet-riddled body was found in the trunk of a car, a shocking conclusion that symbolized the collapse of the political center and the brutal end of an era defined by his complex, hopeful vision.