Alberto Moravia
Alberto Moravia, born Alberto Pincherle in Rome on 28 November 1907, was an Italian novelist and journalist known for his clear, precise writing about modern life. His work often explores sexuality, social alienation and existential questions, usually through the eyes of ordinary people.
His first novel, Gli indifferenti (The Time of Indifference, 1929), is a sharp look at a middle-class family’s moral decay. One of his most famous works, Il conformista (The Conformist, 1947), examines how a man navigates Fascist Italy, and it inspired a renowned film by Bernardo Bertolucci. Other notable books include La Romana (The Woman of Rome, 1947), La noia (The Empty Canvas, 1960), and La ciociara (Two Women, 1957), the latter adapted into a film by Vittorio De Sica. Several Moravia novels were turned into films, such as Il disprezzo (Contempt) and Gli indifferenti.
Moravia spent part of his life in illness; as a child he had bone tuberculosis that kept him bedridden for years. He began writing in the 1920s and, after opposing Fascism, contributed to newspapers and founded the literary magazine Nuovi Argomenti with other writers. He was active in the literary world for decades, even serving as president of PEN International from 1959 to 1962 and later working as a film critic. He was often praised for tackling tough social issues with a stark, unadorned style.
In his personal life, Moravia was married to fellow writer Elsa Morante from 1941 until their separation in the 1960s. He later lived with writer Dacia Maraini and finally married Carmen Llera in 1986. Politically engaged, he was involved with the Italian Communist Party and, in the 1980s, served in the European Parliament. He died in Rome on 26 September 1990.
Moravia’s work remains noted for its frank portrayal of human desires and the hardships of modern life, its sharp social observation, and its influence on both literature and cinema.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:47 (CET).