Th e weekly paper, founded and led by four young Marxists— Gramsci (28 years of age), secretary of the editorial staff and director; Palmiro Togliatti (24 years of age); Angelo Tasca (28 years of age); and Umberto Terracini (24 years of age)— began as an independent culturalpolitical experiment in May 1919: "a lively and fecund exercise (training ground) of discussion on the fundamental motives of a communist society and its practical organization."

Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, loc. 491