Massimo Teodori
Encyclopedia
Massimo Teodori is an Italian
author and politician; his books mainly focus on the differences between Europe and the United States.
He was born in Force
, near the city of Ascoli Piceno
, Marche
, to an upper middle class family. His grandfather, a landowning farmer, was a liberal deputy in Ascoli Piceno from 1903 to 1919 who shared the ideas of Giovanni Giolitti
. His father, a lawyer
, was a liberal
antifascist who held public responsibilities during the Italian Liberation and in the immediate post First World War
period. For three years as a teenager, he hitchhiked throughout Europe. As of 1958 he lives in Rome, where he got a university degree in architecture with Bruno Zevi
and Ludovico Quaroni, whom he began to collaborate with. During his university training, he was involved in local and national university politics.
In the mid-1960s he lived in the United States
(New York
, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Berkeley
). In 1971, despite lacking a degree in the subject, he began to teach American History at Italian universities. In 1979 he became a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Perugia
. In Italy he has taught at the Libera Università Italiana Scienze Sociali (LUISS) of Rome
and at the Johns Hopkins University
extension at Bologna
. In the United States, he has lectured at the University of California, Berkeley
, Columbia University
, and Harvard University
.
Massimo Teodori has been President of Italy-USA Foundation
from 2005 to 2007, and has written a number of books:
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
author and politician; his books mainly focus on the differences between Europe and the United States.
He was born in Force
Force, Italy
Force is a comune in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about 70 km south of Ancona and about 15 km northwest of Ascoli Piceno....
, near the city of Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno is a town and comune in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is c. 51,400.-Geography:...
, Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, to an upper middle class family. His grandfather, a landowning farmer, was a liberal deputy in Ascoli Piceno from 1903 to 1919 who shared the ideas of Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti was an Italian statesman. He was the 19th, 25th, 29th, 32nd and 37th Prime Minister of Italy between 1892 and 1921. A left-wing liberal, Giolitti's periods in office were notable for the passage of a wide range of progressive social reforms which improved the living standards of...
. His father, a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, was a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
antifascist who held public responsibilities during the Italian Liberation and in the immediate post First World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
period. For three years as a teenager, he hitchhiked throughout Europe. As of 1958 he lives in Rome, where he got a university degree in architecture with Bruno Zevi
Bruno Zevi
Bruno Zevi was an Italian architect, historian, professor, curator, author and editor. Zevi was a vocal critic of 'classicising' modern architecture and postmodernism.-University years:...
and Ludovico Quaroni, whom he began to collaborate with. During his university training, he was involved in local and national university politics.
In the mid-1960s he lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
). In 1971, despite lacking a degree in the subject, he began to teach American History at Italian universities. In 1979 he became a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
. In Italy he has taught at the Libera Università Italiana Scienze Sociali (LUISS) of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and at the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
extension at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. In the United States, he has lectured at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Massimo Teodori has been President of Italy-USA Foundation
Italy-USA Foundation
Italy–USA Foundation was established to promote the friendship between Italians and Americans plus American culture in Italy. The foundation is a non-profit organization based in Rome, Italy...
from 2005 to 2007, and has written a number of books:
- Maledetti Americani (“Cursed Americans”)
- Benedetti Americani (“Blessed Americans”)
- L’Europa non è l’America (“Europe is not United States”)
- Raccontare l’America (“To tell America”)