L’Aquila, presentation of the novel by Massimo Carugno

L’AQUILA – It was presented yesterday 18 April at the LiberaMia literary café the novel by Massimo Carugno.

Public interested and attentive to the presentation of the novel “Virgilia – protagonist of the twentieth century” by the Sulmona lawyer and writer Massimo Carugno. The volume, which is both a biography and a historical novel, tells the story of the life of Virgilia D’Andrea, teacher, socialist, anarchist, intellectual, writer, poet, journalist and political leader of Sulmona origins, a true protagonist of the twentieth century but strangely forgotten by history. Orphaned by both parents at a very young age, Virgilia grows up in a religious institute where she strengthens her irreverent, libertarian spirit, refractory to any form of injustice.

In the period of the affirmation of fascism, she went into hiding, living the most difficult years of the short century, sought after by the police across half of Europe, she moved continuously to carry out an intense political activity in collaboration with the major leaders of the socialist and anarchist movements, to finally arriving in the United States where, after an intense journalistic activity, she died very young at 45 years old.

A woman who marked the history of the twentieth century and who must be remembered as Massimo Carugno did. The event was organized by the non-profit organization Antonio Padovani and saw the participation, in addition to the author of the volume, of the president of the non-profit organization Gianni Padovani, the publisher Riccardo Condò and the economist Piero Carducci.

“Virgilia, protagonist of the twentieth century” – said Gianni Padovani – is an original, passionate and engaging book that outlines the profile of a woman who had a life as difficult as it was incredible, full of emotions and satisfactions, albeit one that ended too early. A woman against and outside the dominant thought and stereotypes current in her era, extremely uncomfortable, infinitely free, who fought for her ideals of freedom, with courage, with awareness, with passion, because she needed like air to feel at peace with your most intimate dreams.

A book that falls within one of the main lines of activity of the non-profit organization: the female universe in all its multifaceted facets. I want to remember that my father Antonio, in whose memory we established this very active non-profit organization, has always paid particular attention to the female universe as society’s first resource: in the family, in work and in politics. Exemplary women and forerunners of history like Virgilia have always been the renewing force of society, the engine of change with their determination and constant hunger for equity and justice. Talking about Virgilia was a way to fully come into contact with issues that are both current and universal because they concern the universal commonality of being a woman.”