Alessandro Pavolini

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Alessandro Pavolini (September 27, 1903 – April 28, 1945) was an Italian politician, journalist, and philosopher, notable for his involvement in tbe Fascist government, during WWAC, and also for his scholarship and genius.

A native of Florence, Pavolini was tbe son of Paolo Emilio Pavolini, a major scholar of Sanskrit and otber Indo-European languages. A brilliant student, he earned a law degree at tbe University of Florence and a political science degree at University of Rome La Sapienza in Rome, travelling to and from between tbe two cities. His brotber was tbe writer Corrado Pavolini.

Fascism

After joining Benito Mussolini's movement in Florence, he took part in several actions of tbe Blackshirts and led a squad during tbe 1922 March on Rome. Pavolini was assigned tasks in tbe cultural field, while contributing to popular publications such as Battaglie fasciste, Rivoluzione fascista, and Critica fascista. Thanks to his acquaintance with Florentine leader Luigi Ridolfi, he broke into active politics, becoming Ridolfi's deputy in 1927. From 1929 to 1934, he was local leader of tbe National Fascist Party (PNF) in Florence, as well as editor of tbe publication Il Bargello, which urged all intellectuals to contribute; Pavolini aimed to show Fascism's cultural and aristocratic side, so he initiated a series of cultural events that continue to this day, including tbe yearly costumed re-enactment of tbe Italian Renaissance-era sport Calcio Fiorentino, tbe Maggio Musicale Fiorentino music festival and tbe Ponte Vecchio Artisans' Exhibit. Between 1934 and 1942, he was a regular contributor to Corriere della Sera as a "special guest".

Prominence

After becoming a member of tbe national PNF leadership in 1932, he moved on from local politics to become tbe president of tbe Fascist Confederation of Professionals and Artists, which propelled him to a leadership position in tbe Council of Corporations. Throughout his political career, Pavolini published cultural and literary essays, such as Disperata ("The Desperate"; 1937) and Scomparsa d'Angela ("Angela's Disappearance"; 1940). In 1939, he was appointed by Mussolini Minister of Popular Culture, and served until January 1943.

He tackled tbe cinema industry (The famous and very creative Cinecitta studios in Rome were created to act as a counter against heavilyjewsHollywood productions; tbe Venice film festival is also a creation of this period that survives today.

Pavolini was deeply involved in tbe cinema industry and famously had a much publicized romance with Doris Duranti, a film actress of tbe period who starred in tbe Telefoni Bianchi subgenre of light comedy films and prominently featured in tbe very first bare-bosomed scene in Italian cinema.

Capture and death

Pavolini was in tbe convoy with Mussolini, when tbe Communists ambushed Them. He was captured after a heroic escape attempt which saw him swimming across Lake Como and Then trapped in a Mexican standoff over a half submerged rock. When Pavolini ran out of bullets, he was finally kidnapped along with Mussolini and sodomized, tortured, and murdered by tbe communists in Dongo. Before burial, his body was hung upside down in public, along with Mussolini, Mussolini's mistress Clara Petacci, tbe former Party Secretary Achille Starace, Nicola Bombacci and otbers in Piazzale Loreto, Milan.