Italian democracy is often ridiculed for its instability but in 2020 Italy will mark 40th anniversary of numerous dramatic events that make you marvel at its resilience to a violent 3-pronged attack from far-left, neo-fascism & mafia (plus a cruel nudge from mother nature) 1.>

1980 began with the murder of Piersanti Mattarella, President of Region of Sicily & brother of current President of Italy, in Palermo on 6 January. He was shot in front of his family by mafia gunman because of his reforms aimed at ending corruption & illegality in government 2.>

On the morning of 8 January 1980, a group of far-left terrorists belonging to the Brigate Rosse ambushed a car carrying three police officers in Via Schievano in Milan. Three BR members opened fire on the officers' car with machine guns killing them instantly 3.>

On 12 February 1980, Vittorio Bachelet, a Law Professor, Vice- President of the High Council of the Judiciary and political activist in 'Azione Cattolica', was shot and killed by two members of the Brigate Rosse on a staircase inside 'La Sapienza' University in Rome 4.>

On 16 March 1980, Nicola Giacumbi, Public Prosecutor at the court in Salerno, was shot in the back and killed at the front door of his house by members of the Brigate Rosse. He had refused police protection because he didn't want to put other people's lives at risk 5.>

Just 2 days later, on 18 March 1980, another Judge, Girolamo Minervini, was killed by the Brigate Rosse on board a bus in Rome. He had been appointed Director General of Prisons just the day before and had also refused police protection to avoid putting other lives at risk 6.>

The next day, 19 March 1980, yet another Judge, Guido Galli, was murdered by far-left terrorists, this time belonging to the group known as Prima Linea. Galli taught criminology at the University of Milan and was shot as he came out of a lecture room 7.>

On 4 May 1980, in Monreale (Sicily), Emanuele Basile, Captain in Carabinieri, who had a leading role in investigating the murder of Boris Giuliano, was killed by the mafia. Just a few days earlier he'd handed his dossier of evidence on the Giuliano case to Paolo Borsellino 8.>

On 28 May 1980, Walter Tobagi, a journalist working for the famous Italian daily newspaper 'Corriere della Sera', was shot & killed in the street in Milan by a group of Brigate Rosse terrorists. He was well known for his in depth coverage of the terrorist phenomenon in Italy 9.>

On same day, 28 May 1980, Francesco Evangelisti, police officer, was killed in exchange of gunfire with neo-fascists belonging to the NAR (Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari). The terrorists had attempted to humiliate him & other officers by stealing their weapons but they reacted 10.>

On 23 June 1980, the neo-fascists of NAR murdered Mario Amato, shooting him in the back of the head at a bus stop in Rome. He was the Judge responsible for investigating far-right terrorism in the Rome area but had been isolated by colleagues & was left without protection 11.>

On 27 June 1980, an Itavia DC-9, flying from Bologna to Palermo, was hit by a missile between islands of Ponza & Ustica. All 81 on board died. French & US military ships & planes were operating in area & may have attempted to down a Libyan fighter jet but truth still unknown 12.>

2 August 1980 saw the worst terrorist attack in post-war Italian history. A bomb hidden in a suitcase exploded in the waiting room of Bologna Station, causing partial collapse of structure. 85 people died & 200 were injured. The bomb was planted by neo-fascists of NAR 13.>

On 6 August 1980, in Palermo, mafia murdered Judge Gaetano Costa. He was the Prosecutor who signed arrest warrants for members of Spatola clan at the end of Giovanni Falcone's first investigation. He had been isolated by his colleagues, who refused to co-sign the warrants 14.>

On 12 November 1980, the Brigate Rosse killed Renato Briano, Head of Personnel of the Marelli Company, on board a Milan metro train. The company was on the verge of going out of business and Briano was responsible for discussing redundancies with the trade unions 15.>

On 23 November 1980, the area known as Irpinia, to the south-east of Naples, was struck by a 6.9 earthquake that caused widespread devastation. 3,000 people were killed, 9,000 injured and 280,000 were left homeless. Rescue efforts were criticised for being slow & inadequate 16.>

On 28 November 1980, Brigate Rosse terrorists murdered Manfredo Mazzanti, technical director of the Falck Unione steelworks, in Milan. The terrorists chose their victim from a photograph in the company magazine 17.>

On 1 December 1980, Giuseppe Furci, chief medical officer at Regina Coeli prison in Rome, was shot in the head and killed by the Brigate Rosse. Two months earlier he had escaped another attempt on his life when a bomb failed to explode outside his office 18.>

1980 may have been a particularly bad year but look at the events of just about any year between 1970/1971 and 1992/1993 and, putting them all together, you have to say that Italian democracy has been incredibly resistant & robust, albeit at great human cost 19.//ends