Clio Maria Bittoni: La Vedova di Giorgio Napolitano, Ex Presidente della Repubblica

Clio Maria Bittoni, an attorney from Ancona, was the wife of former President Giorgio Napolitano. Their story began in Rome in 1959, and they had two children together.

Napolitano often referred to himself as a committed monogamist when speaking about his marriage and his relationship with Clio. Their union lasted 64 years and only came to an end with Giorgio’s death yesterday. The last photo of them together was taken in January 2015 when they attended a party in their honor in the Monti district, celebrating their return home after Giorgio’s resignation from the presidency.

During her years as the “first lady,” Clio Napolitano maintained a low profile and did not particularly enjoy protocol. In 2012, photographers captured her waiting in line at the Scuderie del Quirinale to see an exhibition on Vermeer, where she paid for her ticket like everyone else. On one occasion, she even broke security protocols by getting into the ceremonial car and getting out on Via Nazionale.

In 2007, Clio was involved in an accident when she was hit by a car while crossing the street in front of the Quirinale on a pedestrian crossing. She fractured her leg and arm. Clio Maria Bittoni was born in Chiaravalle, Ancona in 1934. Her parents were in exile on the island of Ponza at the time, and her name was inspired by a Greek communist whom they met there. Her second name was given by her grandparents without her parents’ knowledge, added when she was baptized.

Clio Maria Bittoni worked as a lawyer for the League of Cooperatives until 1992 when her husband was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies. They first met in Naples and then reconnected in Rome in 1959. She had moved to the capital from Ancona to gain experience in a law firm, while Napolitano was a promising young leader of the Communist Party.

They got married in a civil ceremony at the Campidoglio in Rome after only a few months of courtship, as was the tradition for communists. They then moved to Naples, where Clio defended agricultural laborers in lawsuits against their employers. When these laborers saw Napolitano at political rallies, they would nudge each other and say, “That’s our lawyer’s husband.”

The couple moved to Rome in 1966 when Napolitano, who had been a deputy since 1953, was called to the party’s national leadership at the Botteghe Oscure. They lived in an apartment in Monti, the same one they returned to after leaving the Quirinale. They were an inseparable couple and always spent their vacations in Val Pusteria and especially on Stromboli.

Clio Napolitano had two sons, Giovanni and Giulio. She was often seen at the Stadio Olimpico with the latter, who is a fan of Lazio. She once revealed the secret to their long-lasting marriage in an interview: “I never thought that our union was destined to not last. We have always had a very intimate family life. For example, we have always worked in the same room. It doesn’t bother him if I talk on the phone while he is writing.”