ABSTRACT
Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954) was the leader of the Italian Christian Democracy. Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1881, he was educated in the Province of Trentino, an Italian region. His family was very pious, and throughout his life De Gasperi was inspired by the values of the Gospel taught by his parents. His political career began in 1911, and he backed the Italian part of the empire. But when the fascists came to power, he had to flee to the Vatican, where he acquired an international vision of many different issues. He lived all his political commitments as a convinced Catholic. During the process of European integration, he shared the same values with Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman, and he can rightly be considered one of the founding fathers of the European Union. Ardent defender of freedom, democracy, and social justice, he gave Italy a new perspective in Europe.
