Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata
An Italian career diplomat who navigated global crises from the UN to Washington before steering foreign policy during a pivotal technocratic government.
Born 1946 (age 80)·Italian diplomat and politician·Birthday: June 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata’s career is a map of modern Italian diplomacy, plotted across the world's most powerful capitals. A lifelong professional in the foreign service, he cultivated expertise in transatlantic and Middle Eastern relations, serving as Italy's ambassador to both the United Nations and the United States. In these roles, he handled dossiers from the Iranian nuclear program to NATO strategy. His ascent culminated in his appointment as Foreign Minister in 2011, a moment of acute crisis for Italy as the Eurozone debt storm raged. Serving in Mario Monti's unelected, technocratic government, Terzi was tasked with restoring international confidence in Italy while managing complex files like the Arab Spring and the Syria conflict. Though his ministerial tenure was relatively brief, it capped decades of behind-the-scenes influence. In later years, he transitioned to the Senate, where he continues to shape European and foreign policy from a legislative perch, representing a continuity of Italy's diplomatic establishment.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Giulio was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Giulio Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Giulio's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs during the crucial Eurozone crisis period from 2011 to 2013 under Prime Minister Mario Monti.
- Held the post of Italian Ambassador to the United States, managing one of Italy's most important bilateral relationships.
- Was Italy's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, advocating for Italian positions on the Security Council.
- Elected as a Senator for the Brothers of Italy party and presides over the Senate's 4th Permanent Commission on EU policies.
Did You Know?
He resigned as Foreign Minister in 2013 in protest over the handling of the case of two Italian marines detained in India.
Terzi is a trained lawyer, graduating from the University of Milan before entering the diplomatic service.
He served as Ambassador to Israel from 2002 to 2004, a highly sensitive posting.
He is the President of the India-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group, focusing on bilateral relations.
“Our foreign policy must be anchored in the defense of international law and human dignity.”
