Italy's deadliest postwar bombing at the time, it marked the start of the 'Years of Lead' era of political violence.
Key Facts
- Date
- 12 December 1969
- Killed
- 17 people
- Wounded
- 88 people
- Target
- Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura, Piazza Fontana
- Perpetrator group
- Ordine Nuovo (neo-fascist)
- Additional bombs
- One exploded in Rome, one found unexploded in Rome
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ordine Nuovo, a neo-fascist paramilitary terrorist group, sought to destabilize the Italian state through a strategy of tension. The late 1960s saw rising social unrest and left-wing political activism in Italy, which extremist right-wing elements sought to counter with violent provocations intended to trigger authoritarian state responses.
On 12 December 1969, a bomb exploded at the headquarters of the Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana, Milan, killing 17 people and wounding 88. That same afternoon, a second bomb exploded at a bank in Rome, and a third was found unexploded at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, indicating a coordinated multi-target attack.
The attack initiated what became known as Italy's 'Years of Lead,' a prolonged period of domestic terrorism from both far-right and far-left groups. The bombing's investigation was mired in controversy, false accusations, and suspected state collusion, leading to decades of judicial proceedings before responsibility was attributed to Ordine Nuovo.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent