His career epitomises the ideological radicalisation and fragmentation of the Italian far right during the Cold War. Born in Cardinale, Calabria, Rauti joined the Fascist Republican Party during the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (Republic of Salò), fighting for Mussolini’s regime in the final years of the Second World War. After 1945, he became one of the most influential theoreticians of Italian neofascism, advocating for a spiritual and revolutionary renewal of Fascism rather than its mere political revival.
In 1956, Rauti founded Ordine Nuovo, initially conceived as a think tank association devoted to preserving and reinterpreting Fascist ideology through an anti-liberal, anti-materialist lens influenced by thinkers such as Julius Evola. Over time, the group radicalised, adopting a doctrine of “spiritual militancy” that combined nationalism, anti-communism, and anti-modernism.
Although he denied involvement in terrorism, judicial investigations repeatedly linked Ordine Nuovo circles to bombings and subversive plots, including the 1969 Piazza Fontana attack. His legacy remains central to the genealogy of post-war neofascism: he represented its most ideological and esoteric current, blending revolutionary mysticism with political extremism.
