A Florentine Square for Oriana Fallaci

On the 10th anniversary of her death, a square near the Fortezza da Basso was given the name of Florentine journalist Oriana Fallaci (1926-2006).

The square is adjacent to a future tram stop on Line 3, which will also bear her name.  Along with her father, Fallaci joined the local resistance fighters against the Fascists during World War II.  As a journalist, she was the first woman correspondent covering the war in Vietnam and conflicts across the globe, including the Middle East.  She later specialized in incisive interviews with world leaders of her time including Henry Kissinger, Indira Gandhi, Yasser Arafat, Ayatollah Khomeini, Lech Walesa and numerous others.

During the presentation, Florence mayor Dario Nardella said, “Oriana Fallaci dedicated her life to defending  liberty with all her being.”  Part of her archives — books, notes and even her typewriter — will be accessible to the public in piazza della Unità.  To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.