A Memorial Tablet Dedicated to a Late Lecturer of Italian Language and Literature Now Opened at UT

A Memorial Tablet Dedicated to a Late Lecturer of Italian Language and Literature Now Opened at UT

On Monday, 11 March, a memorial tablet was opened and dedicated to Indro Montanelli, an Italian journalist who gave lectures on Italian language and literature at the University of Tartu in 1938.

Indro Montanelli (1909‒2001) was a well-known Italian journalist and historian who was forced to flee because of his criticism of the fascist regime. Montanelli was not afraid to criticise extreme regimes that had seized power during the period between the World Wars, as well as political war games in Europe. His exile from Italy was for an article in which he exposed the participation of Mussolini’s troops in the Spanish Civil War.

As a strong supporter of Estonia and Finland, he was held in favour neither in in his home country nor in Germany. The Soviet Union even expelled him as a foreigner. He later visited Estonia as a foreign correspondent reflecting Estonian life in the period between German and Russian occupations.

Montanelli recalled in his memoires that it was really easy to talk to Estonians, as they spoke so many languages – during the nine dark and snowy winter months there isn’t much else to do but learn foreign languages.

The memorial tablet is a gift from the Montanelli Foundation to the University of Tartu. Marco Clemente, the Ambassador of Italy, Riccardo Migliori, a member of the Italian Parliament, Prof. Alberto Malvolti, Claudio Toni, the President of the Montanelli Foundation in Fucecchio, and the Mayor of Fucecchio all visited the university for the opening.