From La Biblioteca Franco Serantini
September 28, 2023
It is with infinite sadness that the Franco Serantini Library announces the passing of its friend and scholar Maurizio Antonioli.
Maurizio was born in Milan on 29 August 1945, where he graduated in Modern Literature with a thesis on anarchists and the First World War, and where he later became full professor of Contemporary History at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the State University, much loved by his students. For over forty years he was one of the main Italian historians of the workers' and trade union movement and contributed significantly to renewing contemporary historiography on the history of work.
Among his many studies we remember the important volume dedicated to Fiom from its origins to fascism, 1901-1924, published in 1978 with the collaboration of Bruno Bezza. He was also interested, with particular attention, in the events of revolutionary syndicalism and the history of anarchism. He collaborated with the magazines «Primo Maggio», «History and Politics», «Economy and Work», «Mondo Operaio», and was among the founders of the «Rivista Storico dell'Anarchismo». He was director of the Anna Kuliscioff Foundation in Milan, member of the scientific committee of the Giuseppe Di Vittorio Foundation in Rome, of the Institute for the History of the Contemporary Age Foundation of Sesto San Giovanni and of the Italian Society of the History of Work.
Always a friend and supporter of the F. Serantini Library, he played for it not only the role of author of prestigious essays on the political history of the libertarian movement, but also that of an active member and member of its scientific committee. He was one of the co-directors of the edition of the Biographical Dictionary of Italian Anarchists (2003-'04), a project created by four Italian universities (Milan, Messina, Teramo and Trieste). Just last summer, his latest historical work, entitled Errico Malatesta, workers' organization and trade unionism, was published by the library's publishing house.
Last year he was present in Pisa on the occasion of the study conference dedicated to Professor Lorenzo Gestri, his personal friend as well as fellow student. His precious archive and his rich working library had already been donated some time ago to the F. Serantini Library.
The library will be closed tomorrow, Friday 20 September, as a sign of mourning and sends its deepest condolences to his wife Germana, his sons Luca and Marco and the rest of the family.
Ghezzano (PI), 28 September 2023
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