Farewell to Claudio Graziano, the general who helped L’Aquila after the earthquake

General Claudio Graziano, president of Fincantieri, has died. He had been on the front line in the aftermath of the earthquake in L’Aquila.

Claudio Graziano was born in Turin in 1953. He had recently lost his wife. The man would have been found dead this morning: there are many hypotheses on the causes, including that of suicide. Graziano, former Chief of Defense Staff and President of the EU Military Committeehad been nominated president of Fincantieri in 2022. The news of the death of the president of Fincantieri impacts the stock, which reacts with a dive into the red, below 5 euros and down by more than 3 percent. “The passing of General Claudio Graziano leaves me speechless. He was a friend and was an extraordinary officer who brought honor to Italy even in his European roles. May a prayer accompany him on the journey to reach his bride.” This is the message from the deputy prime minister and foreign minister Antonio Tajani.
“I am shocked by the sudden death of General Graziano. A servant of the State, a pro-European Piedmontese, a friend. Goodbye Claudio, he rests in peace”. Thus the EU commissioner for the economy Paolo Gentiloni reacted to the news of the death of the president of Fincantieri, General Claudio Graziano.

General Claudio Graziano was among the first rescuers who arrived in L’Aquila after 6 April 2009 and for this reason he was awarded by the Region in April 2022. “To make Italy beautiful we need the courage of the Alpine troops”: with this quote from Don Carlo Gnocchi, the president of the Regional Council of Abruzzo, Lorenzo Sospiri, had opened the session of the regional assembly dedicated to the awarding of the General of the Alpine Corps, Claudio Graziano, then President of the European Union Military Committee and former Chief of Staff of the Defense and Army. Graziano, in fact, was on the front line in Abruzzo during the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake. On that occasion Graziano recalled his bond with Abruzzo. “Returning to this land is always a special moment for me. Abruzzo is a strong land, land of Alpine troops and historically one of the major recruiting areas for our soldiers. I am happy to be here as an Alpine soldier, because one remains an Alpine soldier for life.”

Photo Ansa