Umberto Terracini

I was born in Genoa on July 27, 1895, into a well-off Jewish family originally from Piedmont.When World War I broke out, I firmly opposed Italy's participation and was arrested for giving a pacifist speech. Despite this, I was conscripted and sent to the front, where I received news of the Russian Revolution, which deeply inspired me.After the fall of fascism, I was freed from confinement, and on September 8, to avoid the roundups of Jews and anti-fascists, I took refuge in Switzerland. Upon returning to Italy, I participated in the Resistance in Piedmont, becoming the Secretary of the Government Junta of the Partisan Republic of Ossola.On June 2, 1946, I was elected deputy and Vice President of the Constituent Assembly. The following year, I became its President, and together with Head of State Enrico De Nicola and Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi, I signed the Italian Constitution.

The Constitution is divided into four sections, the first of which contains the Fundamental Principles:

• Article 1: Italy is a democratic Republic founded on labor, and sovereignty belongs to the people.

• Article 13: Personal freedom is inviolable, and there shall be no distinctions based on gender, ethnicity, or religion.

I passed away in Rome on December 6, 1983.