EPISODE 114: The Years of Lead: Piazza Fontana
From History on Fire by Daniele Bolelli
September 15, 2025 · 1h 21m · Season 1 · Episode 114
About this episode
This episode discusses the violent political climate in Italy during the Years of Lead, marked by terrorism and state violence.
“With P2, we had Italy in our hands. The Army, the Guardia di Finanzia, the police… they were all ruled by our members.” - Licio Gelli “Every week the streets of Milan were the theater of demonstrations, and were lit up by the fires of Molotov cocktails.” - Guido Passalacqua My childhood took place at a time known in Italy as The Years of Lead. It was a time of tear gas, terrorist attacks, false flag operations, anarchists getting thrown out of the windows of police stations, bombs on trains, assassinations, and street battles. One day, in my hometown, a bomb placed in a bank killed 17 people and wounded many more. It was the opening round in a war waged terrorists and some members of the secret services to bring about an authoritarian coup. This episode is about the dark days when political violence was an ever-present reality in the streets of Italy. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our LinkTree, including our HOF YouTube Channel, Substack, Instagram, and TikTok. JAPAN TOUR! Let’s head out to Japan in Oct 2026. All the…
Topics covered
- The Years of Lead
- Piazza Fontana
- political violence
- Italy
- terrorism
- authoritarianism
Keywords
- Molotov cocktails
- false flag operations
- anarchists
- bombings
- assassinations
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Purest Mushrooms
Books & works: History on Fire
Places: Italy, Milan, Japan
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