Galeazzo Ciano

Gian Galeazzo Ciano, known as Galeazzo, Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari (Livorno, March 18, 1903 - Verona, January 11, 1944), was an Italian nobleman, diplomat, and politician. The son of Admiral Costanzo Ciano and Carolina Pini, he married Edda Mussolini in 1930. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1936 until 1943, supporting the Grandi motion that led to the ousting of Benito Mussolini. Convicted as a traitor in the Verona trial, he was executed by firing squad on January 10, 1944. Ciano, a complex figure, was considered a prodigy and a snob, an admirer of Mussolini and an influential manipulator. He participated in the coup d'état of July 25, 1943, to save Italy, but his private life was marked by scandals and betrayals. His death, amidst despair and calls for suicide, highlights the complexity and controversy of his figure in fascist politics.