The Young Communists (Italian: Giovani Comuniste e Comunisti) is the youth organization of the Communist Refoundation Party (Italian: Partito della Rifondazione Comunista or simply Rifondazione Comunista) and has more than 20,000 members.
Although the party was founded in 1991 (following the dissolution of the Italian Communist Party, and its youth section, the FGCI, Federazione Giovanile Comunista Italiana), the young members of the party did not have a stable organization until the summer of 1994, when Marco Rizzo created the Giovani Comunisti.
The first National Assembly took place in Chianciano in February 1996. In December 1997 the first National Convention of the GC took place. On this occasion two documents were presented. The party majority won with its own document gaining 67.8% of the vote. From the 4th to the 7th of July 2002 the second National Convention took place in Marina di Massa.
The third National Convention is scheduled for July 2006 in Bari.
Since its formation in 1994 the GC have become a growing part of the Italian left movement, and since the G8 summit in Genova (2001) the organization has become a major player in Italian youth politics.
The Giovani Comunisti on a worldwide platform are affiliated to the World Federation of Democratic Youth.