# Vittorio Lattanzio

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**Vittorio (Vito) Lattanzio** (31 October 1926 – 31 October 2010) was an Italian [Christian Democrat](/source/Christian_Democracy_(Italy)) politician and physician.[1]

## Biography

Lattanzio was born on 31 October 1926 in [Bari](/source/Bari), [Italy](/source/Italy). He would get a degree in [medicine](/source/Medicine) and begin working as a [physician](/source/Physician) before entering politics, where he would become a prominent member of the [Christian Democrats](/source/Christian_Democracy_(Italy)); making a name for himself in the field of [foreign policy](/source/Foreign_policy).[1]

### Political career

He would first take the national stage by becoming the undersecretary of defence in the [Andreotti II Cabinet](/source/Andreotti_II_Cabinet).[2]

Lattanzio served as [minister of defence](/source/Italian_Minister_of_Defence) (1976–1977) in the [Andreotti III Cabinet](/source/Andreotti_III_Cabinet).[3][4] He would face harsh criticism for his role as minister of defence after convicted Nazi [Herbert Kappler](/source/Herbert_Kappler) escaped from Italian custody in 1977 to find sanctuary in West Germany.[5][6] He would ultimately resign from this position due to the scandal, but go on to take different cabinet level positions.[7][8][9]

Following the kidnapping and death of fellow [Apulia](/source/Apulia) native [Aldo Moro](/source/Aldo_Moro), Lattanzio effectively inherited the 'Apulian electoral fortune.'[1][9]

He would go on to serve the cabinets of [Prime Ministers](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Italy) [Andreotti](/source/Giulio_Andreotti) (1976–1978, 1989–1992) and [De Mita](/source/Ciriaco_De_Mita) (1988–89) as [minister of transport](/source/Italian_Minister_of_Transport), then minister of civil protection,[10] and lastly as minister of foreign trade.[11][12] While serving as Minister of Civil protection he would be criticized for inefficient handling of the department during the 1990 [Augusta](/source/Augusta,_Sicily) Earthquake.[13] Lattanzio would actively participate in increasing trade with [China](/source/China) while Minister of Foreign Trade.[11] He also served in the [Chamber of Deputies of Italy](/source/Chamber_of_Deputies_of_Italy) in [Legislature III](/source/Legislature_III_of_Italy), [Legislature IV](/source/Legislature_IV_of_Italy), [Legislature V](/source/Legislature_V_of_Italy), [Legislature VI](/source/Legislature_VI_of_Italy), [Legislature VII](/source/Legislature_VII_of_Italy), [Legislature VIII](/source/Legislature_VIII_of_Italy), [Legislature IX](/source/Legislature_IX_of_Italy) and [Legislature X](/source/Legislature_X_of_Italy).[2][14]

Lattanzio would be placed under [house arrest](/source/House_arrest) while being investigated on allegations of corruption and illicit party financing.[15]

He died in his hometown of Bari on his 84th birthday, and was survived by his daughter.[1]

## Works

- Wrote *Italian Security Policy and the North Atlantic Alliance* for the [Nato Review](/source/NATO_Review).[3]

## References

1. ["Morto l'ex ministro Vito Lattanzio pilastro della Dc, aveva 84 anni - Bari - Repubblica.it"](http://bari.repubblica.it/cronaca/2010/10/31/news/morto_l_ex_ministro_vito_lattanzio_pilastro_della_dc_aveva_84_anni-8615727/). *Bari - La Repubblica*. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 2020-09-03.

1. [*Italy; Documents and Notes*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3zMbAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Vito+Lattanzio%22). Centro di documentazione. 1973.

1. Lattanzio, Vittorio (February 1977). ["Italian Security Policy and the North Atlantic Alliance"](https://books.google.com/books?id=obc745ockFgC). *NATO Review*. Vol. 25. Jenner, Peter (ed.). NATO Information Service.

1. Tessmer, Arnold Lee (1988). [*Politics of Compromise: NATO and AWACS*](https://books.google.com/books?id=BzC4AAAAIAAJ). University of California: National Defense University Press. ISBN 9780160016813.

1. Levi, Primo & Belpoliti, Marco (2002). [*The Black Hole of Auschwitz*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VxbSTfGI638C). Belpoliti, Marco (ed.). Italy: Polity. ISBN 978-0-7456-3240-7.

1. Levi, Primo & Belpoliti, Marco. [*The Black Hole of Auschwitz*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VxbSTfGI638C&pg=PA39). Polity. ISBN 978-0-7456-3240-7.

1. Cicchino, Enzo (2000). ["Kappler's escape MEETING WITH Hon. Minister Vito Lattanzio"](http://www.larchivio.com/xoom/vitolattanzio.htm). *www.larchivio.com*. Retrieved 2020-09-02.

1. Levi, Primo (2015-09-28). [*The Complete Works of Primo Levi*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ge6YCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT755). Goldstein, Ann (ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-1-63149-206-8.

1. [*L'espresso*](https://books.google.com/books?id=R9ExAQAAIAAJ) (in Italian). Editrice L'Espresso. 1980.

1. Goebel, Klaus & Dardo, Mauro D. (1992). [*New Emergencies, The: 9th International Seminar On Nuclear War*](https://books.google.com/books?id=HYbsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PR4). World Scientific. ISBN 978-981-4553-85-8.

1. [*Daily Report: China*](https://books.google.com/books?id=gA2vwm6zo-IC). Ohio State University: Foreign Broadcast Information Service. October 10, 2017.

1. [*Gazzetta ufficiale della Repubblica italiana. serie generale*](https://books.google.com/books?id=5vwJn7s6K9sC) (in Italian). Vol. 1. National Central Library of Rome: Istituto poligrafico e zecca dello Stato. 21 May 2018.

1. Catenacci, V. ["IL DISSESTO GEOLOGICO E GEOAMBIENTALE IN ITALIA SICILIA"](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/pubblicazioni/periodici-tecnici/memorie-descrittive-della-carta-geologica-ditalia/memdes_47_cron_siciliane.pdf). *isprambiente.gov.it*. Cronistorie. pp. 261–263. Retrieved 3 September 2020.

1. [*Daily Report: Western Europe*](https://books.google.com/books?id=2jQwC47kV4MC). Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1978.

1. Giangrande, Antonio (2020). [*Bari e la Puglia: Quello Che non si Osa Dire*](https://books.google.com/books?id=_NaYB7woFxQC&pg=PA522) (in Italian). Antonio Giangrande.

## External links

- [*La fuga di Kappler* - intervista a Vito Lattanzio](http://www.larchivio.org/xoom/vitolattanzio.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120904195716/http://www.larchivio.org/xoom/vitolattanzio.htm) 2012-09-04 at the Wayback Machine di Enzo Cicchino, L'Archivio, 2000

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Vittorio Lattanzio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorio_Lattanzio) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorio_Lattanzio?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.