Francesca Ciceri
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Francesca Ciceri (23 August 1904 – 18 January 1988), also known under her ''
nom de guerre A ''nom de guerre'' (, 'war name') is a pseudonym chosen by someone to use when they are involved in a particular activity, especially fighting in a war. In Ancien régime, ''ancien régime'' Kingdom of France, France it would be adopted by each n ...
'' Vera, was an Italian anti-fascist
partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...
, communist, and feminist.


Biography

Born in
Lecco Lecco (, , ; ) is a city of approximately 47,000 inhabitants in Lombardy, Northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). The Bergamasqu ...
in 1904, she lost her father and began working in a factory at the age of ten. She began to frequent unions and participate in the occupation of factories during the strikes of 1919–1920. It was at this time that she met Gaetano "Nino" Invernizzi, who soon became her companion in political activism as well as in private life.


Marriage and Communist Party activism

In 1922, Invernizzi joined the
Communist Party of Italy The Italian Communist Party (, PCI) was a communist and democratic socialist political party in Italy. It was established in Livorno as the Communist Party of Italy (, PCd'I) on 21 January 1921, when it seceded from the Italian Socialist Part ...
and was soon forced to emigrate to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Ciceri managed to join him there in 1924. They married the next year. In 1929, Ciceri joined the
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
, starting a long period of political commitment in the Italian-speaking group of the French Communist Party. Because of political persecution, she was forced to move with her husband to Belgium and then to Luxembourg. In 1932, they returned to Paris and were given the task of making clandestine trips to Italy to introduce the party press and reorganize the communist apparatus, while in the following two years they were invited to
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
at the School of the Communist International. On their return in 1935, they resumed their journeys to Italy until their arrest, which took place in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
on 13 June 1936. On 22 May 1937, the Special Court for the Defence of the State sentenced Invernizzi to 14 years and Ciceri to 8, on charges of conspiracy against the State and the re-establishment of the Communist Party. Ciceri was imprisoned at the women's penitentiary in
Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...
, where she served four years and left, following an amnesty, in 1941. She then returned to Lecco, where she found a job and resumed political activity. After the fall of
Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...
on 25 July 1943, Invernizzi was also released from prison and resumed his political activities in Lecco, alternating his work underground with the partisan struggle in the mountains.


The battle of Piani d'Erna

On 9 September 1943, Ciceri participated in the partisan group "Carlo Pisacane", commanded by Renato Carenini, of which Invernizzi was political commissary. Thus began the Resistance in the mountains of Lecco. The battle of Piani d'Erna, in which Ciceri took part, took place on 17 October 1943. The
Fascists Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social h ...
managed to break through the lines of the Resistance, and the partisans (including Ciceri and Invernizzi) were forced to retreat to
Valsassina image:Altopiano valsassina.jpg, 250px, The Valsassina plateau Valsassina is a valley in the Alps of Lombardy, northern Italy, within the province of Lecco. It is included between the Grigna range from West, and the Bergamasque Prealps, Bergamo Preal ...
and the
Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...
area. After the battle, Invernizzi and Ciceri were both called by the Party to Milan. In 1944, Ciceri lost her brother Pietro, who was deported to the
Mauthausen concentration camp Mauthausen was a German Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen, Upper Austria, Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with List of subcamps of Mauthausen, nearly 100 f ...
, and her 21-year-old nephew Lino, who was arrested in Lecco and shot during the Cibeno massacre. Her husband was seriously ill due to the eight hard years he had spent in prison.


The end of the war

After the Liberation, Invernizzi took on important union duties and was elected to the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
for the Italian Communist Party. Ciceri continued her activity, directing the network of '' Gruppi di Difesa della Donna (Women's Defence Groups)'' and entering the Committee of the Milanese Federation of the Party, activities that she had to subsequently reduce for health reasons and to attend to her seriously ill husband. After Invernizzi's death in 1959, Ciceri returned to settle in Lecco, becoming president of the provincial section of the National Association of Italian Partisans between 1980 and 1988. In 1977, the city of Lecco awarded her the gold medal for patriotic and civil merits. She died in her hometown in 1988 and was buried at the cemetery of
Acquate Acquate (in Lecchese dialect ''Quàa'') is a ward of Lecco, Italy, located north-east of the city centre. It is situated at the foot of the hill between the Bione and Caldone creeks. History The village of Acquate, consisting of an urban center ...
, next to her husband. In January 2019, two memorial blocks were placed for her brother Pietro and her nephew Lino in front of their home in Via Resegone, 16.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciceri, Francesca 1904 births 1988 deaths Italian anti-fascists Italian communists Italian feminists Italian resistance movement members Italian socialist feminists Female anti-fascists