Rocco Scotellaro

Rocco Scotellaro (19 April 1923 – 15 December 1953) was an Italian poet, writer and politician.

Life and career Born in Tricarico, in the Province of Matera, the son of a shoemaker and a homemade seamstress, Scotellaro studied law at the Universities of Rome, Naples and Bari without graduating, as the early death of his father forced him to return to his hometown. In December 1943 he joined the Italian Socialist Party, and after having been part of the local department of National Liberation Committee in 1946 he became mayor of Tricarico. His tenure as mayor was inspired by the theories of vita activa by Hannah Arendt, and spent a great deal of effort in improving the living conditions of his fellow citizens. and Eugenio Montale described him as a "poeta contadino" ("peasant poet") and paired him to Sergei Yesenin and Attila József. Luchino Visconti's 1960 film Rocco and His Brothers pays homage to Scotellaro in its title. In 1979, he was portrayed by Bruno Cirino in the Rai Due television film Rocco Scotellaro, which depicted his life.