Years of Lead

Years of Lead, a period of sociopolitical unrest in Italy that began in the late 1960s and continued through the mid-1980s, during which both far-left and far-right extremist groups carried out acts of political sabotage, kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations. It is estimated that between 1969 and 1987 about 400 people were killed and over 1,200 were injured in attacks attributed to these groups. The name “Years of Lead” (Anni di piombo) is thought to derive...