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Assunta AlmiranteItalian public figure
Date of Birth: 15.08.1925
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Assunta Almirante: A Political Matriarch in Italy's Far Right
- Relationship with Giorgio Almirante
- Political Family
- Widow and Daughters in Political Conflicts
- Legacy and Divisions
Assunta Almirante: A Political Matriarch in Italy's Far Right
Early Life and MarriageAssunta Almirante, née Assunta De Luca, was born in Calabria, Italy. She married the Marquis Federico De Medici, with whom she had three sons. However, her life took a dramatic turn in 1951 when she met the charismatic neo-fascist politician Giorgio Almirante.
Relationship with Giorgio Almirante
For 18 years, Assunta and Giorgio's relationship was kept secret. Their first daughter, Giuliana, was born in 1958 and bore the Medici surname with her husband's consent. Their connection was called a "marriage of conscience." After the Marquis De Medici's death in 1969, their affair became public. In 1974, Almirante officially divorced his first wife and married Assunta.
Political Family
As the wife of a prominent neo-fascist leader, Assunta wholeheartedly supported her husband's political agenda. However, she formally abstained from participating in his party, the Italian Social Movement (MSI), and did not fully embrace neo-fascism. Assunta held more conservative-nationalist views.
She played a crucial role in providing a comfortable and politically influential home for Almirante. Her home became a gathering place for the far-right elite. Notably, she had a close relationship with the radical neo-fascist populist Pino Rauti.
Widow and Daughters in Political Conflicts
After Almirante's passing in 1988, his successor Gianfranco Fini took over the MSI. Assunta had a contentious relationship with Fini, criticizing his policies as a "betrayal of Giorgio's legacy." Despite Fini's views being closer to Assunta's own, she remained a staunch critic.
Assunta's involvement in the founding of the La Destra party in 2007 and her close collaboration with Giovanni Alemanno, Pino Rauti's son-in-law, further cemented her influence in right-wing politics. She also maintained a relationship with Silvio Berlusconi.
Legacy and Divisions
Assunta Almirante's enduring legacy has both united and divided the far right. Conflict between her stepdaughter Rita Almirante, who joined Fini's party, and her daughter Giuliana Medici, who joined La Destra, highlighted the complexities of her family's political allegiances.
Assunta published several books, including "Giorgio, la mia fiamma" (2005) and "Donna Assunta Almirante, la mia vita con Giorgio" (2010), which provided insights into her life and the tumultuous world of Italian politics. Her unwavering support for her husband's ideals and her active involvement in the far right have left an indelible mark on the Italian political landscape.
