‘The romantic captain. Fernando Rosa libertarian socialist’ is the new book by Fabio Florindi. Published by Arcadia Edizioni

Florindi carefully follows De Rosa’s youthful career, also showing his initial approach to fascism, typical of many young people of the time. However, the progressive disillusionment culminates in a tragic and decisive episode: the accidental death of his friend Mohamed Ali, struck by a shot fired involuntarily while De Rosa was handling a gun. This event profoundly marks the protagonist, not only on a human but also political level, accelerating his definitive separation from the regime, formalized a few months later with his resignation from the National Fascist Party. From this moment, the biography takes on a more intense and dramatic pace. Florindi effectively describes De Rosa’s transformation into an anti-fascist militant, amidst clandestine activities, persecution and growing exposure to risk. At the same time, a less well-known but significant aspect emerges: his relationship with the mountains, experienced as a space of freedom and catharsis, as opposed to the “prison” represented by fascist Italy. His experiences in the Italian Alpine Club and sporting talent contribute to building the image of an energetic and determined young man, but also in search of balance.

Particularly successful is the reconstruction of the Turin university environment, where De Rosa stands out for his activism: from anti-fascist commemorations to the defense of Professor Francesco Ruffini against squad attacks, up to his participation in clandestine networks for the dissemination of subversive press. In these pages, the author manages to make the climate of violence and repression tangible, as well as the courage of a minority of students determined to resist.

The exile represents a decisive turning point. In France, in contact with leading figures of socialism such as Pietro Nenni, De Rosa developed the idea of ​​a sensational gesture capable of shaking public opinion. The 1929 demonstration attack in Brussels against Prince Umberto of Savoy – which Florindi analyzes with precision – thus becomes a key moment: the trial transforms into an international political platform, confirming the protagonist’s desire to transform his life into an instrument of struggle.

However, the book does not limit itself to building a heroic portrait. On the contrary, one of its strengths is the representation of De Rosa’s contradictions: the difficulties of exile, the personal crises, the excesses experienced during the Spanish period and the failure of the project to become a pilot for a demonstration action against the regime. Florindi does not hide the fragility of the protagonist, who ends up questioning himself and his ability to sacrifice.

A human dimension that also emerges in the letters, especially in the relationship with Luigina, his idealized first love, and with his mother Umberta. In these pages we perceive a more intimate De Rosa, torn between radical political aspirations and the desire for a stable emotional life, a tension that contributes to strengthening the image of the “romantic” evoked by the title.

The final phase of his life takes place in Spain, where political radicalization leads him to increasingly revolutionary militancy. During the civil war, De Rosa was directly involved in the field, until his death in September 1936 on the Sierra Guadarrama, hit while leading his men in the assault. His end, rapid and consistent with his entire existential trajectory, seals the image of a man who experienced politics as a total choice.