Andrea Purgatori is dead. Journalist, screenwriter and author, born in 1953, was struck down by a fulminant illness, as reported by his children Edoardo, Ludovico, Victoria and their family. For years at Corriere della Sera, where he had dealt with terrorism, intelligence, crime, Purgatori had dedicated himself with tenacity to the Ustica massacre of 1980. On La7 he successfully conducted the Atlantis program. Among his latest works is his participation in the docu-film «Vatican Girl» on the case of Emanuela Orlandi. Below, the souvenir signed by Paolo Conti.
Speak about Andrew Purgatori it means starting from an essential point in his professional life which over time has become a sort of synonym for him. Thanks to his commitment and to a job that he has known neither breaks nor uncertainties, the investigation into the Ustica massacre it remained open.
Andrea Purgatori has revealed lies and omissions of those who carried forward the thesis of a bomb that exploded on board of Itavia that the June 27, 1980 traveled with 81 people on board revealing how the disaster was caused by the impact with a missile. And always remaining at the side of the families of the victims and above all guaranteeing the search for the truth. Because of this Purgatori-Ustica has become a true synonyma professional brand of extraordinary continuity, of desire to get to the truth, to defend those (the victims’ families) who found themselves without a loved one and deprived of their right to know what had happened.
The story of Ustica summarizes everything the character of Andrea Purgatorihis instinct of excellent reporter (he was very fond of this title), of envoy of great level and quality (for years he dealt with Iran and Libya in times when working in those fields was particularly complex). A dense, rapid writing, devoid of useless frillslet’s say severe. Exactly like the television language that viewers have found in the adventure of «Atlantis».
Whoever reads these lines will forgive the use of the personal pronoun. But I had the pleasure, I would say now the privilege, of working with him for years. In the mid-1980s, then director Piero Ostellino decided on a radical generational change at the top of Rome’s news reports. Andrea newsreader, 32 years old, and I deputy to him, at 31. A decision that caused a lot of perplexity in an editorial staff of consolidated professionals. And it was like throwing yourself into a tub of ice cold water. We began working together from morning until late at night. Andrea continually had countercurrent intuitions. He knew that a news like ours, which had to deal with competitors historically deeply rooted in the territory, could only attract readers by playing on the counterattack, constantly surprising them.
He revolutionized graphics by looking at US newspapers (his stay as a young man in the United States was essential for his professional and also personal life), he focused on a spectacular use of photographs, he decided on more than courageous titles. Despite being in fact the same age, I owe him (in addition to a thousand indelible gestures of friendship and solidarity, an indelible heritage) the discovery of a different way, I would say even more courageous, of reporting, to tell Rome, not to make easy scandal but never to fear power. When I took his place, I started from all this heritage built above all thanks to him.
Entire pages could be written on Andrea Purgatori’s investigations, on his style, on his professional and human class, on the his love for life, for his three children and also for the opportunities for happiness and beauty that existence can offer you.
A magnificent and proud person, incapable of hypocrisy and bargaining, frank, ironic and very elegant.
A true journalist, a protagonist of our civil history.
A friend that no one can ever replace. Never.
