You give Italy Jesus Christ and you get the Roman Catholic Church.

The love of power excludes all others.

Also we Italians have something to Elvis Presley: to offer one of the rare occasions when we prefer to be Italian rather than American.

Politicians do nothing but ask of us, during every expiration of a legal statute, "a gesture of trust." But here trust is not enough; what's needed is an act of faith.

Cynics are all moralists, and merciless too.

I know many crooks and they never preach, but I don't know anyone who preaches that isn't a crook also.

It isn't necessary to be socialists in order to love Pertini. Whatever he says or does, smells of cleanliness, of loyalty and of sincerity.