40 Years After Aldo Moro's Kidnapping: Italy's Unresolved Trauma

Christian Caliandro reflects on the 40th anniversary of Aldo Moro's kidnapping and assassination by the Red Brigades, arguing that the event has left Italy in a state of paralysis and unresolved trauma. The article draws on writings by Adriana Faranda, Mario Luzi, Leonardo Sciascia, Alberto Arbasino, and Pier Paolo Pasolini to explore the political and cultural consequences. Faranda, a former Red Brigades member, states that the group mistakenly believed Moro's death would create a sense of shared responsibility. Caliandro links the kidnapping to a broader national condition of 'claustrophilia,' citing Giorgio Vasta, and suggests that the 55 days of Moro's captivity have stretched into 14,600 days of stagnation. The piece also references the parallel tragedy of Alfredo Rampi, who died in a well in 1981, as another symbol of confinement. Caliandro concludes that Italy has not broken the spell of this trauma despite key historical moments like 1989, 1992-93, and 2011.