Claudio Graziano

General Claudio Graziano (22 November 1953 – 17 June 2024) was an Italian Army officer who served as Chairman of the European Union Military Committee.

Graziano was a Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), serving in the position between 2007 and 2010. On 6 December 2011, he became the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. From 28 February 2015 to 6 November 2018, Graziano served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Italian Armed Forces.

Early life and education

Graziano was born on November 22, 1953, in Turin, Italy. Graziano attended the Military Academy of Modena, from 1972 to 1974, and the Application School of Turin, from 1974 to 1976, where he obtained a degree in Military Strategic Sciences.

Career

From 16 May 2022 to 17 June 2024 he was President of Fincantieri and from 28 September 2022 he was President of Assonave (Associazione Nazionale dell’industria navalmeccanica).

Personal life

Graziano lived in Rome with his wife Marisa Lanucara, who died in 2023. Graziano had no children.

Graziano was found dead from a gunshot wound in his home in Rome on 17 June 2024. He left a suicide note dedicated to his wife who had died the previous year.

The funeral took place on the morning of June 21, 2024, in the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Maritiri, in Piazza della Repubblica, Rome. All the bodies of the Italian Army and the Italian armed forces were lined up for the last tribute, among those present were the President of the Senate of the Italian Republic Ignazio La Russa, the Defense minister Guido Crosetto, the Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi and the Foreign minister Antonio Tajani.

Due to his past in the Italian Army and the important role he held as president of Fincantieri, the necessary investigations into his death were opened. Among the hypotheses examined there was also incitement to suicide by foreign secret agents. Graziano played a key role in strengthening European Defence, which he said can act as a deterrent or can contribute to de-escalation.

Publications

• Missione. Dalla guerra fredda alla difesa europea, with Marco Valerio Lo Prete, Luiss, 2022, ISBN 978-8861057272