Sergio Romano (born 7 July 1929) is an Italian diplomat, writer, journalist, and historian. He is a columnist for the newspaper ''
Corriere della Sera
The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015.
First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
''.
Romano is also a former Italian
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to Moscow.
Biography
Born in
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a th ...
, he grew up between
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
in a middle-class business family. He graduated from the
liceo classico
Liceo classico or Ginnasio (literally ''classical lyceum'') is the oldest, public secondary school type in Italy. Its educational curriculum spans over five years, when students are generally about 14 to 19 years of age.
Until 1969, this was ...
Cesare Beccaria of Milan, then began working as a journalist. In 1952, he obtained a degree in
Law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
at the
University of Milan
The University of Milan ( it, Università degli Studi di Milano; la, Universitas Studiorum Mediolanensis), known colloquially as UniMi or Statale, is a public research university in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe ...
, but he never finished his studies in
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
at the
University of Genoa
The University of Genoa, known also with the acronym UniGe ( it, Università di Genova), is one of the largest universities in Italy. It is located in the city of Genoa and regional Metropolitan City of Genoa, on the Italian Riviera in the Liguri ...
before graduation. He travelled to European capitals (
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
) recently emerged from the war, which directed him to a diplomatic career. He joined the
Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
in 1954, and after four years spent in Rome he was assigned to the seat in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where he remained until 1964. He returned to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
to assist in the Cabinet Minister
Saragat; when the latter was elected
President of the Republic he followed him to the
Quirinale
The Quirinal Palace ( it, Palazzo del Quirinale ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, one of the three current official residences of the president of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporzia ...
, assigned to the General Secretariat of the Presidency.
From 1968 to 1977, he was in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and, after being general manager of cultural relations and
Ambassador to NATO (1983–85), he concluded his diplomatic career in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, in the then
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. He talks about this experience in the book ''Memoirs of a Conservative'' (2002), concise portrait of the bureaucratic class and Italian diplomacy (and not only) in the era of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
.
He became a commentator for a number of Italian newspapers and magazines (''
la Stampa
''La Stampa'' (meaning ''The Press'' in English) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin, Italy. It is distributed in Italy and other European nations. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy.
History and profile
The paper was fou ...
'', ''
il Corriere della Sera'', ''Limes'', ''Il Mulino''), the editor of a historical series for the publisher
Corbaccio. He has also taught at the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
,
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, the
University of Pavia
The University of Pavia ( it, Università degli Studi di Pavia, UNIPV or ''Università di Pavia''; la, Alma Ticinensis Universitas) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one ...
,
University of Sassari
The University of Sassari ( it, Università degli Studi di Sassari, UniSS) is a university located in Sassari, Italy. It was founded in 1562 and is organized in 13 departments.
The University of Sassari earned first place in the rankings for ...
and
Bocconi University
Bocconi University ( it, Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, ) is a private university in Milan, Italy. Bocconi provides education in the fields of economics, finance, law, management, political science, public administration and comput ...
in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
. He is also President of the General Prize Committee of the Balzan Foundation and a member of the Scientific Committee for the magazine ''Geopolitica''
In 1993, he won the "Pisa National Literary Prize" in the non-fiction section. In 2010, he won the prize "È giornalismo",
Article on ''Brescia Oggi''
/ref> when he affirmed that he had been ambassador for years without having a bachelor's degree in Political Science but only in Law (to enter the diplomatic service in Italy is required a degree in Political Sciences or in Law or in Economics). In 2010, he spoke at the 2010 Ambrosetti Forum
The Ambrosetti Forum organized by The European House – Ambrosetti, a consulting firm – is an annual international economic conference held at Villa d'Este, in the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people ...
.
Honors
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 1st Class / Knight Grand Cross – 27 December 1987
Publications
*1977 – Histoire de l'Italie du Risorgimento à nos jours (Editions du Seuil; ed. it. Storia d'Italia dal Risorgimento ai giorni nostri, Mondadori, 1978)
*1977 – "La quarta sponda. La guerra di Libia, 1911/1912", Casa Editrice Bompiani
Bompiani is an Italian publishing house based in Milan. It was founded in 1929 by Valentino Bompiani.
In 1990, Bompiani became part of the RCS MediaGroup. It was sold in 2015 to the Giunti Group. It is widely regarded as one of the leading literar ...
, 1977, pag. 270
*1979 – "Giuseppe Volpi. Industria e finanza tra Giolitti e Mussolini",1979
*1989 – La Russia in bilico ( Il Mulino)
*1991 – La politica estera italiana (1860-1985), scritto con Richard J.B. Bosworth (Il Mulino, )
*1991 – Disegno di storia d'Europa dal 1789 al 1989 (Longanesi
Longanesi, also known as Longanesi & C., is a publishing house based in Milan, Italy. It was founded in 1946 by Leo Longanesi and industrialist Giovanni Monti.Nanni Delbecchi (13 May 2016). "Longanesi fa settanta. Il 'Dottor Naso' aveva fiuto". ' ...
, )
*1992 – I falsi protocolli. Il "complotto ebraico" dalla Russia di Nicola II a oggi ( Corbaccio, )
*1993 – L'Italia scappata di mano (Longanesi, )
*1993 – Viaggi intorno alla Russia (La Stampa
''La Stampa'' (meaning ''The Press'' in English) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin, Italy. It is distributed in Italy and other European nations. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy.
History and profile
The paper was fou ...
, )
*1994 – Tra due Repubbliche. L'anno di Berlusconi e le prospettive dell'Italia (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy.
History
The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 1 ...
, )
*1994 – FINIS ITALIAE – Declino e morte dell'ideologia risorgimentale – Perché gli italiani si disprezzano – (All'insegna del pesce d'oro, )
*1995 – Lo scambio ineguale. Italia e Stati Uniti da Wilson a Clinton (Laterza, )
*1995 – La storia sul comodino. Personaggi, viaggi, memorie ( Greco e Greco, )
*1995 – Storia d'Italia dall'Unità ai nostri giorni
*1995 – Cinquant'anni di storia mondiale. La pace e le guerre da Yalta ai giorni nostri (Longanesi, )
*1995 – I falsi protocolli. Il "complotto ebraico" dalla Russia di Nicola II ai nostri giorni, (Nuova edizione con l'aggiunta di un capitolo sugli ''ebrei invisibili dell'Europa centrorientale'' ), Editrice TEA
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
, Milano (ed. 2008: )
*1996 – Le Italie parallele. Perché l'Italia non riesce a diventare un paese moderno (Longanesi, )
*1996 – Passando a Nord-Ovest, scritto con Aldo A. Mola (Bastogi, )
*1997 – Lettera a un amico ebreo (TEA
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
, )
*1997 – Giuseppe Volpi. Industria e finanza tra Giolitti e Mussolini (Marsilio Marsilio is an Italian name most likely to refer to:
* Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499), Italian scholar and Catholic priest
It may also refer to:
*Marco Marsilio (born 1968), Italian politician
*Marsilio da Carrara (1294–1338), Lord of Padua
* Ma ...
, )
*1998 – Confessioni di un revisionista (Ponte alle Grazie, )
*1998 – Storia d'Italia dal Risorgimento ai nostri giorni (TEA, )
*1999 – Attraverso il secolo (Libri Scheiwiller
Libri may refer to:
People
* Domenico Libri, an Italian criminal
* Girolamo dai Libri, an Italian illuminator
* Francesco dai Libri, an Italian illuminator, father of Girolamo dai Libri
* Guglielmo Libri Carucci dalla Sommaja, a 19th-century Ita ...
, )
*2000 – Giolitti (Bompiani, )
*2000 – L'Italia negli anni della Guerra Fredda. Dal piano Marshall alla caduta del Muro (Ponte alle Grazie, )
*2000 – Mussolini (biografia per immagini) (Longanesi, )
*2000 – I luoghi della Storia (Rizzoli, )
*2000 – Crispi (Bompiani, ; ristampa)
*2001 – I volti della storia. I protagonisti e le questioni aperte del nostro passato (Rizzoli, )
*2001 – La pace perduta 1989-2001 (Longanesi, )
*2002 – Lettera a un amico ebreo. Edizione ampliata (Longanesi, )
*2002 – Memorie di un conservatore (TEA, )
*2002 – Guida alla politica estera italiana. Da Badoglio a Berlusconi (Rizzoli, )
*2003 – I confini della storia (Rizzoli, )
*2003 – Il rischio americano (Longanesi, )
*2004 – Giovanni Gentile. Un filosofo al potere negli anni del Regime (Rizzoli, )
*2004 – Anatomia del terrore. Colloquio con Guido Olimpio (Rizzoli, )
*2004 – Europa, storia di un'idea. Dall'impero all'unione (Longanesi, )
*2005 – La quarta sponda: La guerra di Libia 1911-1912 (Longanesi, ; ristampa 1ª edizione Bompiani 1977)
*2005 – Libera Chiesa. Libero Stato? (Longanesi, )
*2007 – Saremo moderni? Diario di un anno (Longanesi, )
*2007 – Con gli occhi dell'Islam (Longanesi, )
*2008 – I falsi protocolli (Editore TEA collana TEA storica)
*2009 – Indro Montanelli. I conti con me stesso. Diari 1957-1978'' (Rizzoli, )
*2009 – Storia di Francia, dalla comune a Sarkozy. (Longanesi, )
*2011 – L'Italia disunita (Longanesi, )
*2012 – with Beda Romano – La Chiesa contro. Dalla sessualità all'eutanasia tutti i no all'Europa moderna (Longanesi,)
See also
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italy)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ( it, Ministero degli affari esteri e della cooperazione internazionale or ''MAECI'') is the foreign ministry of the government of the Italian Republic. It is also known as the Farnesin ...
* Foreign relations of Italy
The foreign relations of the Italian Republic are the Italian government's external relations with the outside world. Located in Europe, Italy has been considered a major Western power since its unification in 1861. Its main allies are the NA ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romano, Sergio
1929 births
Living people
People from Vicenza
20th-century Italian historians
Italian columnists
Italian male non-fiction writers
Ambassadors of Italy to the Soviet Union
University of Milan alumni
Italian diplomats
20th-century diplomats
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
21st-century Italian historians