Farewell to Eugenio Scalfari, he was 98 years old

Eugenio Scalfari died. The founder of Repubblica was 98 years old and the announcement comes from the columns of the newspaper he founded.

Born on April 6, 1924 in Civitavecchia , he was a journalist but also an "economist, politician, philosopher, novelist, poet", as the columns of "his" newspaper tell. Finally also a dear friend of Pope Francis.

Among his favorite readings were Pessoa 's novels. And among the meetings that will mark his adolescence and life, the one in Sanremo with Italo Calvino , the classmate with whom he builds a grammar of thought and emotions.

In the early 1950s he began his journalistic career with Pannunzio's “World” and Arrigo Benedetti's “Europeo”. In 1955 with the latter he founded "L'Espresso" , the first Italian investigative weekly . Scalfari works there in the dual role of administrative director and collaborator for the economy . And when Benedetti left the helm to him in 1962, he became the first Italian director-manager, a figure absolutely unprecedented for Italy at the time.

In 1976 , after having already tried (unsuccessfully) to launch a newspaper together with Indro Montanelli, who had rejected the proposal calling it "rather risky", Scalfari founded the newspaper la Repubblica , which made its debut on newsstands on January 14 of that year. The operation, implemented with the L'Espresso Group and Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, opens a new page in Italian journalism . The Roman daily, under his direction, made an impressive climb in just a few years , becoming for a long time the leading Italian newspaper by circulation.

He will abandon the role of director in 1996 and Ezio Mauro takes his place. However, Scalfari will not disappear from the newspaper headline, as he will continue to play the role of columnist for the Sunday edition for a long time.

THE CORDOGLIO - Deep condolences throughout the country for the death of the great journalist, which took place in Rome, a minute of meditation in his memory at the opening session today in the Senate.

" Pope Francis learned with sorrow of the death of his friend , Eugenio Scalfari. He fondly preserves the memory of the meetings - and of the dense conversations on the final questions of man - he had with him over the years and entrusts his soul in prayer to the Lord, so that he may welcome him and console those who were close to him "the words of the director of the press office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.

"I am particularly saddened by the death of Eugenio Scalfari journalist, director, essayist, politician, lucid and passionate witness of our republican history", the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella . "From the first steps within that great school of journalism that was the World, to the direction of Espresso, up to the foundation of the 'Republic', Scalfari has always been an engaging point of reference for generations of journalists, intellectuals, the political class and a very large number of readers. Always a convinced advocate of ethics in society and of renewal in public life, in recent times he had masterfully dedicated himself to the great existential issues of man with the usual effectiveness and depth of reflection ".

THE LAST GREETING - The funeral parlor for Eugenio Scalfari will be open tomorrow in Rome , in the Sala della Protomoteca del Campidoglio , from 4 to 7 pm. The commemoration ceremony will take place in the same room on Saturday at 10.30 .

(Unioneonline / vl)