Pio Filippani Ronconi
Encyclopedia
Pio Alessandro Carlo Fulvio Filippani Ronconi (10 March 1920 – 11 February 2010) was an Italian
orientalist
. He was born in Barcelona
, Spain.
He was born out of a very ancient aristocratic family (his father being Count Fulvio Filippani Ronconi and his mother Anita Tamagno), tracing back to the Roman patriciate. He grew up in Spain up to the Civil War, when his mother was shot by Republicans and he came back in Italy
with his family. He had already learned Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Arabic, Greek and Latin, and now he studied at the university several oriental languages such as Turkish, Hebrew, Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Persian, and others. For this reason, he worked for the Italian radio company EIAR
as reader of news in foreign languages.
At the same time, his spiritual interests brought him to study and practice the Tantras, and to know Julius Evola
, Arturo Reghini and other members of the Ur Group. At the same moment, he studied thoroughly Tantrism, Gnosticism
, and Magism in different cultural contexts, as well as the faiths and rituals of ancient Italy, from the Umber Tavole Iguvine to Roman Religion.
When Italy entered World War II
(10 June 1940), he enlisted as a volunteer in the Arditi (elite storm troops), fighting in Libya
. He was wounded twice and he was decorated for his valour. After the fall of Benito Mussolini
and the constitution of Italian Social Republic
, he enlisted as a volunteer private, then confirmed as an Obersturmführer
(literally “Senior Stormleader”, roughly equivalent to Senior Lieutenant), in the Italian SS-Legion, then reorganized as the 29th Division of the Waffen-SS “Italien”
. He fought defending the Axis front at Nettuno, receiving the Second-Class Iron Cross. He was probably the last surviving member of the Bataillon “Degli Oddi”, having taken part in that battle.
After the war he continues his studies, getting to know personally Massimo Scaligero
and, through him, the works by Rudolf Steiner
. He then elaborated his own conception of antroposophy, cleansed by its Christian aspects and focused on the ancient Indoeuropean paganisms, even though during the war he had already declared to German military authorities to be heathen (Heiden). Since 1959, he began his academic career, being the most important pupil of Giuseppe Tucci
, the most important Italian orientalist at the time. He taught both at the Istituto Orientale in Naples and at the Faculty of Orientalistics in Venice. Its most fundamental work was about the Buddhist canon.
At the same time, he continued working for the State. He was officially employed, with different mansions, at the foreign radio office for the Council Presidency, but he worked for the intelligence services as translator and, thanks to his wide knowledge of Sanskrit, he becomes a great expert in the decryption of messages intercepted by the Italian intelligence. At the beginnings of the ‘50s he is sent in Persia to gather political and military information in the area. He collaborated with several Latin American intelligence services: in 1950, for example, he had written a report about the political and military situation of Bolivia
, foreseeing a revolution who broke few months after. He continued working for the intelligence up to the ‘70s. He also works with the Ministry of Defence, as cryptographer and translator of oriental languages.
In 1965, he was one of the lecturer at the conference about revolutionary war held at the Hotel “Parco dei Principi” in Rome
, which was organized by fascist agitator Pino Rauti
and his Ordine Nuovo
neo-nazi cell. He was later questioned by the court about the bombing in Piazza Fontana (12 December 1969), since his lecture was thought to have been devised and used to plan a general “strategy of tension” to destabilize Italian democratic system, and since one of his students, Delfo Zorzi, was enquired for material responsibility, but inquiries proved that he was not involved in any way. He admitted however having worked for the intelligence service.
In 2000, he entered a collaboration with the national newspaper “Il Corriere della Sera”, writing articles about Eastern philosophy, but he was dismissed, after that a reader denounced with a letter to the newspaper the fact that Filippani Ronconi had served in Waffen-SS during the war. He died in 2010.
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...
orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
. He was born in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain.
He was born out of a very ancient aristocratic family (his father being Count Fulvio Filippani Ronconi and his mother Anita Tamagno), tracing back to the Roman patriciate. He grew up in Spain up to the Civil War, when his mother was shot by Republicans and he came back in Italy
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...
with his family. He had already learned Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Arabic, Greek and Latin, and now he studied at the university several oriental languages such as Turkish, Hebrew, Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Persian, and others. For this reason, he worked for the Italian radio company EIAR
Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche
The Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche was the only public service broadcaster in Italy and the only one allowed to do so.-History:...
as reader of news in foreign languages.
At the same time, his spiritual interests brought him to study and practice the Tantras, and to know Julius Evola
Julius Evola
Barone Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola also known as Julius Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esotericist...
, Arturo Reghini and other members of the Ur Group. At the same moment, he studied thoroughly Tantrism, Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
, and Magism in different cultural contexts, as well as the faiths and rituals of ancient Italy, from the Umber Tavole Iguvine to Roman Religion.
When Italy entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(10 June 1940), he enlisted as a volunteer in the Arditi (elite storm troops), fighting in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. He was wounded twice and he was decorated for his valour. After the fall of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and the constitution of Italian Social Republic
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
, he enlisted as a volunteer private, then confirmed as an Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
(literally “Senior Stormleader”, roughly equivalent to Senior Lieutenant), in the Italian SS-Legion, then reorganized as the 29th Division of the Waffen-SS “Italien”
29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian)
The 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS or Legione SS Italiana was created on 10 February 1945 as the second SS-Division numbered 29. The first on the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS , was disbanded. The new unit created in November 1943, was based on the Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade...
. He fought defending the Axis front at Nettuno, receiving the Second-Class Iron Cross. He was probably the last surviving member of the Bataillon “Degli Oddi”, having taken part in that battle.
After the war he continues his studies, getting to know personally Massimo Scaligero
Massimo Scaligero
Massimo Scaligero, born Antonio Sgabelloni in Veroli, Italy an Italian spiritual teacher, esotericist and anthroposophist. Scaligero's esoteric work influenced Georg Kühlewind.-English:...
and, through him, the works by Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
. He then elaborated his own conception of antroposophy, cleansed by its Christian aspects and focused on the ancient Indoeuropean paganisms, even though during the war he had already declared to German military authorities to be heathen (Heiden). Since 1959, he began his academic career, being the most important pupil of Giuseppe Tucci
Giuseppe Tucci
Giuseppe Tucci was an Italian scholar of oriental cultures, specialising in Tibet and history of Buddhism. During its zenith, Tucci was a supporter of Italian Fascism, and he used idealized portrayals of Asian traditions to support Italian ideological campaigns...
, the most important Italian orientalist at the time. He taught both at the Istituto Orientale in Naples and at the Faculty of Orientalistics in Venice. Its most fundamental work was about the Buddhist canon.
At the same time, he continued working for the State. He was officially employed, with different mansions, at the foreign radio office for the Council Presidency, but he worked for the intelligence services as translator and, thanks to his wide knowledge of Sanskrit, he becomes a great expert in the decryption of messages intercepted by the Italian intelligence. At the beginnings of the ‘50s he is sent in Persia to gather political and military information in the area. He collaborated with several Latin American intelligence services: in 1950, for example, he had written a report about the political and military situation of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, foreseeing a revolution who broke few months after. He continued working for the intelligence up to the ‘70s. He also works with the Ministry of Defence, as cryptographer and translator of oriental languages.
In 1965, he was one of the lecturer at the conference about revolutionary war held at the Hotel “Parco dei Principi” in 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...
, which was organized by fascist agitator Pino Rauti
Pino Rauti
Giuseppe Umberto "Pino" Rauti is an Italian politician who has been a leading figure on the far right for many years...
and his Ordine Nuovo
Ordine Nuovo
Ordine Nuovo , full name Centro Studi Ordine Nuovo, "New Order Scholarship Center") was an Italian far right cultural and extra-parliamentary political and terrorist organization founded by Pino Rauti in 1956...
neo-nazi cell. He was later questioned by the court about the bombing in Piazza Fontana (12 December 1969), since his lecture was thought to have been devised and used to plan a general “strategy of tension” to destabilize Italian democratic system, and since one of his students, Delfo Zorzi, was enquired for material responsibility, but inquiries proved that he was not involved in any way. He admitted however having worked for the intelligence service.
In 2000, he entered a collaboration with the national newspaper “Il Corriere della Sera”, writing articles about Eastern philosophy, but he was dismissed, after that a reader denounced with a letter to the newspaper the fact that Filippani Ronconi had served in Waffen-SS during the war. He died in 2010.