Lando Ferretti

Lando Ferretti (2 May 1895, Pontedera, Province of Pisa - 8 January 1977, Rome) was an Italian journalist, politician and sports administrator.

Journalism

After studying law and letters at the University of Pisa Ferretti became a journalist, interrupting his career for army service in the First World War.^[1] Following the war he worked for the Italian administration in the newly added territory of Trentino.^[1] He then returned to journalism, serving as director of La Gazzetta dello Sport from 1919 to 1924, editor of the Il Secolo XIX from 1924 to 1926 and editor of the Corriere della Sera from 1927 to 1928.^[1]

Fascism

Ferretti was an early member of the National Fascist Party and was in the Lamarmora column during the March on Rome.^[1] He held a number of positions afterwards, notably head of the journalists syndicate, which he dominated along with Giorgio Pini and Telesio Interlandi, a deputy from 1924 to 1940, a member of the Grand Fascist Council and an officer in the Blackshirts.^[1] In 1926 he was appointed press secretary to Benito Mussolini and in 1928 was promoted to head of the official press office, a role in which he significantly expanded state censorship.^[1] He also served as president of the Italian National Olympic Committee and president of the Premio Letteraria Viareggio prize from 1931 to 1939.^[1]

Ferretti continued to write for the Corriere della Sera in the Republic of Salò before fleeing with Mussolini to Como.^[1]

Post-war politics

Ferretti was an early member of the Italian Social Movement and served the party as a member of the Italian Senate for Lazio. Between 1957 and 1969 and he was also a member of the European Parliament.^[1]

References