Ugo La Malfa

Ugo La Malfa (May 16, 1903 – March 26, 1979) was an Italian politician, and an important leader in the Italian Republican Party, of which his son, Giorgio La Malfa, is now president.

Early years and anti-fascist resistance

La Malfa was born in Palermo, Sicily. After completing his secondary schooling, he enrolled in the Ca' Foscari University of Venice in the Department of Diplomatic Sciences with professors Silvio Trentin and Gino Luzzatto.

During his years at the University, he had contacts within the republican movement of Treviso and other anti-fascist groups. In 1924, he moved to Rome, and participated in the foundation of the Goliardic Union for Freedom. On June 14, 1925 he took part in the first conference of the National Democratic Union, founded by Giovanni Amendola. The movement was later declared illegal under Mussolini's fascist government. In 1926 he graduated university with a thesis dealing sharply with human rights. During his military service, he was transferred to Sardinia in order to disrupt the anti-fascist publication Pietre, on which he worked. By 1928 he was among those arrested following the April 12 bombing in the Fiera di Milano for allegedly planning to assassinate Italian King Victor Emmanuel III only to be interrogated and released.

Malfa

Malfa is a comune (municipality) on the island of Salina, one of the islands of Isole Eolie also known in the English language as Aeolian Islands, in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 140 kilometres (87 mi) northeast of Palermo and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Messina.

Malfa derived its name from Amalfi (near Naples). In the 12th century some families established their lives in Malfa on the island of Salina.

The island of Salina is one of seven Eolian islands. Salina is the greenest of the seven. The main economic activities are agriculture, tourism and fishing. Cultivated products are grapes, capers, olives, figs and pricklypears.

Malfa is famous for producing and exporting the sweet white wine, Malvasia. The fertile soil produces tons of capers for export.

Malfa celebrates the festival of San Lorenzo (Patron Saint of Malfa) on 10 August each year, with a street parade, music and fireworks.

As of September 2011, Malfa has a population of 943 and an area of 8.9 square kilometres (3.4 sq mi).