Lidia Menapace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lidia Menapace
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| Member of the Senate | |
| In office 28 April 2006 – 28 April 2008 |
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| Constituency | Friuli-Venezia Giulia |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lidia Brisca
3 April 1924 Novara, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 7 December 2020 (aged 96) Bolzano, Italy |
| Cause of death | COVID-19 |
| Political party | PRC |
| Alma mater | Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore |
| Occupation | Essayist, politician |
Lidia Menapace (born Brisca, 3 April 1924 – 7 December 2020) was an amazing Italian woman. She was a brave resistance fighter during World War II. Later, she became a politician, serving in the Italian Senate from 2006 to 2008. She represented the Communist Refoundation Party.
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Early Life and Family
Lidia Menapace, whose birth name was Brisca, was born in Novara, a city in northern Italy. Her father, Giacomo Brisca, was a surveyor. He was against fascism, a type of strict government. Her mother, Italia Vercesi, was a homemaker. Her family believed in freedom and individual choice.
Growing Up During a Dictatorship
When Lidia was in primary school, Italy was ruled by a dictator named Benito Mussolini. His government was called a dictatorship. Teachers at school taught children to love and honor Mussolini's rule. But Lidia's mother taught her to think differently. She told Lidia to destroy school reports that said she belonged to the "Aryan race." Her mother said, "We are not animals," meaning people should not be sorted like that.
In 1943, Lidia's father was sent to a prison camp. This happened because he would not obey the rules of the Republic of Salò. This was a new government in northern Italy that was controlled by the Nazis. Two years later, her father was set free. By then, Lidia, who was 19, had joined the resistance movement.
Joining the Resistance
Lidia was a literature student at the Catholic University of Milan. During this time, she secretly delivered messages to soldiers who were fighting against the fascists. She also helped Jewish men escape Italy. She would take them to the border with Switzerland so they could be safe.
Secret Missions and Help
Lidia also helped organize escapes from prison. She hid bombs and copies of a secret Resistance newspaper in her family's basement. She even passed secret messages to political prisoners who were in jail. She rode her bicycle to deliver coded messages to other Italian resistance fighters.
After the War and Political Life
After World War II, Lidia Menapace continued to fight for what she believed in. She became an activist for peace, which is called pacifism. She also strongly supported women's rights.
A Voice for Change
Lidia was part of a group that started Il Manifesto. This was a newspaper that shared left-wing ideas, focusing on social justice and equality. She made history by becoming the first woman elected to a government position in Bolzano, a city in Italy.
Lidia was married to Eugenio Menapace. She passed away on 7 December 2020. Her death was due to COVID-19, during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
