# Alberto Moravia

_Italian writer and journalist (1907-1990)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/alberto-moravia
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Alberto Pincherle (Italian: [alˈbɛrto ˈpiŋkerle]; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990), known by his pseudonym Alberto Moravia (US:  moh-RAH-vee-ə, -⁠RAY-; Italian: [moˈraːvja]), was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his debut novel Gli indifferenti (The Time of Indifference 1929) and for the anti-fascist novel Il conformista (The Conformist 1947), the basis for the film The Conformist (1970) directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Other novels of his adapted for the cinema are Agostino, filmed with the same title by Mauro Bolognini in 1962; Il disprezzo (A Ghost at Noon or Contempt), filmed by Jean-Luc Godard as Le Mépris (Contempt 1963); La noia (Boredom), filmed with that title by Damiano Damiani in 1963 and released in the US as The Empty Canvas in 1964 and La ciociara, filmed by Vittorio De Sica as Two Women (1960). Cédric Kahn's L'Ennui (1998) is another version of La noia.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 28 November 1907 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P19))
- **Died:** 26 September 1990 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P570))
- **Place of death:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Italy; Kingdom of Italy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P27))
- **Occupation:** journalist; novelist; screenwriter; playwright; politician; poet ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P106))
- **Political party:** Italian Communist Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P102))
- **Spouse:** Elsa Morante; Carmen Llera ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P26))
- **Positions held:** Member of the European Parliament (24 July 1984 – 24 July 1989); president (1960–1962) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P39))
- **Awards:** Marzotto Prize; Strega Prize; Viareggio Prize; Viareggio-Versilia International Prize ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933#P166))

## About

Moravia once remarked that the most important facts of his life had been his illness, a tubercular infection of the bones that confined him to a bed for five years and Fascism because they both caused him to suffer and do things he otherwise would not have done. "It is what we are forced to do that forms our character, not what we do of our own free will." Moravia was an atheist. His writing was marked by its factual, cold, precise style, often depicting the malaise of the bourgeoisie. It was rooted in the tradition of nineteenth-century narrative, underpinned by high social and cultural awareness. Moravia believed that writers must, if they were to represent 'a more absolute and complete reality than reality itself', "assume a moral position, a clearly conceived political, social, and philosophical attitude" but also that, ultimately, "A writer survives in spite of his beliefs".…

## Questions

**When was Alberto Moravia born?**  
Alberto Moravia was born on 28 November 1907 in Rome.

**What positions has Alberto Moravia held?**  
Positions held by Alberto Moravia include: Member of the European Parliament (1984–1989); president (1960–1962).

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Alberto Moravia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Moravia) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q161933](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161933) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6361580 (cropped).jpg by Paolo Monti (CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paolo_Monti_-_Servizio_fotografico_-_BEIC_6361580_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Alberto Moravia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6361580 (cropped).jpg — Paolo Monti, CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Alberto Moravia". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/alberto-moravia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.