Curzio Maltese

Curzio Maltese
Name	Curzio Maltese
Birth date	25 June 1959
Birth place	Milan
Death date	26 October 2017
Death place	Rome
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Journalist, Writer, Politician, Critic
Notable works	Il sangue e la rosa, Il fantasma del potere

Curzio Maltese (25 June 1959 – 26 October 2017) was an Italian journalist, writer, cultural critic and politician known for his commentary on literature, cinema, music and politics. He worked for major Italian newspapers and magazines, participated in cultural institutions, and served as a member of the European Parliament representing leftist political currents. His work intersected with debates in Italy, Europe, and the broader Mediterranean cultural sphere.

Early life and education

Maltese was born in Milan into a milieu shaped by postwar Italian urban culture and the industrial environment of Lombardy. He studied in Milanese institutions and was influenced by intellectual currents associated with figures and movements in Italian literature, Italian cinema, and the history of Italian socialism. During his formative years he engaged with texts and debates tied to the legacies of Carlo Levi, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino, and the critical traditions of Einaudi and Mondadori publishing circles. His early exposure to the cultural scenes of Milan, Turin, and Rome informed his later work as a critic and public intellectual.

Journalism career

Maltese began his professional career as a cultural journalist in the milieu of Italian periodicals, contributing to outlets connected to the networks of La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, and weekly magazines in the tradition of L'Espresso and Il Manifesto. He wrote about literature, cinema, theater, and music, engaging with authors and directors such as Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Sergio Leone, and contemporary novelists in the line of Umberto Eco and Niccolò Ammaniti. His columns appeared alongside pieces by journalists and editors associated with La Stampa, Il Foglio, Il Sole 24 Ore, and cultural reviews like Linea d'Ombra and Rivista Studio. Maltese collaborated with critics and scholars connected to institutions such as the Accademia dei Lincei, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and university departments at Università degli Studi di Milano and Sapienza Università di Roma.

He served as editorialist and columnist for national broadcasters and print outlets, participating in debates involving editorial directors and figures from Rai, Mediaset, and independent presses rooted in the traditions of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli and Adriano Olivetti. His reportage and essays engaged contemporary political and cultural developments in European Union institutions, the public life of France, Germany, Spain, and the transatlantic discourse involving United States media.

Political involvement and career

Maltese transitioned from journalism to active participation in leftist politics, aligning with movements and parties related to the traditions of Italian Communist Party, Democratic Party of the Left, and newer coalitions such as Sinistra Ecologia Libertà and the Italian Left. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament where he sat in groups and committees that involved interactions with deputies and policy actors from Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Greens–European Free Alliance, and delegations to regions including the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa.

In Brussels and Strasbourg he engaged with legislative colleagues involved in cultural policy, media regulation, and regional development, collaborating with MEPs from France Insoumise, Die Linke, Podemos, and other left formations. His parliamentary activity intersected with debates on copyright, audiovisual policy, cultural funding, and the politics of urban regeneration affecting cities such as Naples, Turin, and Milan.

Literary and cultural works

Maltese authored essays, reviews, and books that examined the intersections of politics, literature, and popular culture. His publications entered conversations alongside works by contemporary critics and novelists associated with Gianni Vattimo, Alberto Moravia, Elsa Morante, and intellectuals from the schools of Critical Theory in Frankfurt and the Italian tradition of cultural studies. He wrote about film and music scenes that included commentary on festivals like the Venice Film Festival, the Turin Film Festival, and international events such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.

His cultural criticism frequently referenced European and Mediterranean authors and artists, including Giorgio Bassani, Italo Svevo, Cesare Pavese, Luchino Visconti, and contemporary musicians and composers whose works were discussed in venues such as La Scala, the Festival di Sanremo, and independent circuits tied to Cantautore traditions. Maltese's essays contributed to debates in journals connected to the European Cultural Foundation and publishing houses such as Feltrinelli, Mondadori, and Laterza.

Personal life and legacy

Maltese lived and worked between Milan and Rome, participating in public debates with intellectuals, filmmakers, and politicians including interlocutors from Italy and across Europe. He died in Rome in 2017, after which tributes came from cultural institutions, newspapers, and political figures across the spectrum including representatives of left-wing parties and cultural associations. His legacy is preserved in collections, anthologies, and retrospectives curated by editors and institutions connected to Italian literary and journalistic traditions, and he is remembered alongside contemporaries in the fields of journalism, political engagement, and cultural criticism such as Giorgio Napolitano, Carlo Petrini, Umberto Eco, and Michele Serra.

Category:Italian journalists Category:Members of the European Parliament for Italy Category:1959 births Category:2017 deaths