Paolo Virno, a militant philosopher and a leader of Potere Operaio, has died. He was 73.

Paolo Virno , a contemporary philosopher, communist intellectual, and revolutionary activist, has passed away. He taught Philosophy of Language, Semiotics, and Ethics at the University of Rome Tre. He is considered one of the leading figures in the Italian Marxist movement after the Second World War. He was 73.

Originally from Naples, he was a prominent figure in the political and cultural landscape and a point of reference for generations of students and scholars thanks also to his works, from Grammatica della Multitude to Parole con parole: poteri e limiti del linguaggio.

Educated in the workerist movement, Paolo Virno was an active member of Potere Operaio. His teachings transcended the academic classroom, and this revolutionary drive led him to establish the Libera Università Metropolitano (Lum), an "experiment in self-education and constituent conflict within and against the transformations of the university." He was arrested during the controversial April 7 investigation by Padua prosecutor Calogero. In the 1980s, he served a prison sentence along with hundreds of intellectuals and students falsely accused of belonging to armed organizations. He was later acquitted of all charges.

The final farewell will be on Monday, November 10th at 11:30 a.m. at Esc Atelier Autogestito, at Via dei Volsci 159, Rome.