Maria Zazzi

Maria Zazzi (1904–1993) was an Italian anarchist and anti-fascist that was involved in a series of campaigns to aid refugees and support prisoners. Following the rise of Italian fascism, she fled to France, where she became involved in the Parisian anarchist movement. She moved to Belgium, where she supported anarchist prisoners in Brussels and led the campaign in defense of Sacco and Vanzetti, but was eventually forced to leave the country due to a police investigation of her. She briefly spent time in Barcelona during the Spanish Revolution of 1936 and was arrested by the Gestapo following the Battle of France. During World War II, she finally returned to Italy and joined the Italian resistance movement, going on to become a leading figure in the post-war anarchist movement and a mentor to the anarchist bank robber Horst Fantazzini.