Concetto Marchesi

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Concetto Marchesi (1 February 1878 – 12 February 1957) was an Italian Latinist and politician.

Born in Catania, he showed his early interest in ideas by founding a local newspaper, Lucifero. His writings led to a brief imprisonment when he was young. He studied at the University of Florence, graduating in 1899, and later taught in Pisa. In 1910 he married Ada Sabbadini.

In 1915 he became the chair of Latin literature at the University of Messina. He earned a Doctorate in Law in 1923 and joined the University of Padua the same year. He had been a member of the Italian Socialist Party since 1905 and joined the Italian Communist Party when it formed in 1921.

During the fascist regime he remained in the academic world and reportedly swore loyalty to fascism several times to keep his positions. He returned to anti-fascist activity in the 1940s.

Marchesi was rector of the University of Padua in 1943 and urged students to resist fascism. After Mussolini fell, he fled to Switzerland and helped organize resistance groups, including one led by his former student Ezio Franceschini.

Back in Italy, he played a role in post-war politics. In 1945 he was appointed to the National Consultation; from 1946 to 1948 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly and helped draft the Italian Constitution. He then served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1948 to 1957 as a member of the Communist Party. He was known for his independent views, including opposition to including the Lateran Pacts in the Constitution.

In 1956 he commented on international affairs, supporting his party’s line and criticizing the Hungarian uprising. He died in Rome in 1957; his memory was honored in the Chamber of Deputies.