The crisis that has gripped Sicily for several years now, a crisis that is taking shape as a general one, affecting all sectors-from the economic and social to the political-institutional, and even the cultural-and taking on the characteristics of an identity crisis, requires a reevaluation of deliberately forgotten figures, men and women who, with their comprehensive personalities, contribute to reestablishing a system of values that, by combining the past with the present, can constitute a valuable point of reference for the revitalization of the island in all its aspects. This remedy, like the one we have outlined, is systemic, not cyclical, and as such, demands a radical alternative, one that affects the foundations of the social structure and is centered on direct representation and libertarian principles.
One such figure is undoubtedly Giovanni Millimaggi, a multifaceted figure: a scholar of pedagogy and law, a politically engaged intellectual, an early anti-fascist, a libertarian communist, and a champion of Sicilian independence and egalitarian federalism. Here, we will outline some of the key stages of his rich and troubled life, drawing inspiration from a biography written by his nephew Daniele and significantly titled A Free Man. The Story of Giovanni Millimaggi (Youcanprint, Lecce, 2020).Giovanni Millimaggi was born on January 11, 1887, in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, a populous agricultural and commercial center in the province of Messina. He came into the hands of a wealthy family of landowners, who were later forced, due to financial difficulties, to sell their holdings, spread throughout the municipality of Castroreale and surrounding areas, and move to the capital. Here, he began his career as an elementary school teacher and published several articles on pedagogy in specialized journals. He became interested in socialist thought and contributed to various local periodicals: "La Provincia Socialista," "Germinal," and "Il Canonico Mazza," alongside influential figures in the political and cultural world such as Concetto Marchesi, Gaetano Salvemini, and Giovanni Pascoli, who had taught at the University of Messina.
He also contributed to the anarchist periodical "Il Risveglio," which included Piero Gori among its contributors.
In 1921, following the Livorno split within the Socialist Party, he joined the Communist Party of Italy, despite not being a member, sharing its revolutionary perspective.
In 1925, he graduated in Law from the University of Messina. He was already suspected of being anti-fascist, so much so that the police monitored his movements.
In 1930, he moved to Milan, where he worked as a lawyer for the Istituto Contenzioso Commerciale. In 1932, the Prefecture noted his activism, listed him among the leaders of the Milanese communists, and noted his efforts as a courier recruiter among exiles and anti-fascists who remained in their homeland.
In 1933, the commissioner of the Political Police, Renzo Mambrini, infiltrated the clandestine anti-fascist network. He managed to meet with Millimaggi, presumably by posing as a fellow lawyer. In a report, he noted that Millimaggi, in conversation with him, often used mediocre arguments, feigned confusion about communism, and suspected the identity of his interlocutor, but in reality was "a person gifted with ease of speech and a good legal education." Commissioner Mambrini therefore classified him as "a subversive with communist leanings" (p. 49).
The police circle thus tightened around Giovanni Millimaggi. The epilogue came at the end of April 1933. Shortly thereafter, the trap was sprung. He was arrested while, along with some comrades, preparing to rehearse for an anti-fascist propaganda radio broadcast to mark May Day, which the fascist regime had abolished as a workers' holiday, replacing it with a revived and fictitious Rome Day, coinciding with the legendary founding of the capital in 753 BC. Giovanni Millimaggi himself was scheduled to deliver the celebratory speech. Arrested with the others, he was taken to Milan's San Vittore prison and subjected to harsh interrogations, during which he was threatened with death with a revolver pointed at his head, in a sort of Russian roulette. But the threats and violence of his tormentors did not break his faith. Thus, by order of the Provincial Commission of July 28, 1933, Millimaggi was assigned to confinement on Ponza with the following motivation: "Communist organization: attempt to install a radio transmitter to broadcast a message on May 1st" (p. 60).
Millimaggi became close to the communist confined, but found their confinement organization too rigid and, therefore, asserted his own autonomy and libertarian component, while maintaining lively dialogue, especially with Giorgio Amendola.
He quickly revealed himself as a rebellious confined person, classified among the diehards. He participated in some extreme forms of protest, such as those against the confiscation of correspondence not from very close relatives and the demand for the renting of private accommodations and the management of communal soup kitchens by the confined.
Following subsequently organized strikes, Millimaggi was arrested and transferred to the Poggioreale prison in Naples for trial, where he was sentenced to 12 months.
The sentence was later reduced to 8 months.
Antonio Catalfamo
(Continued)
https://www.sicilialibertaria.it/wp-content/uploads/giugno2026_compressed-1.pdf
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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