His life was a long adventure through different worlds. Challenging, rich in twists and turns, and full of humanity. Raffaele Melis Pilloni, who died at the age of 90, lived a life worthy of a novel.
A lawyer and expert in international law, he had become a point of reference for Sardinian emigrants in Spain, particularly in Barcelona. As he said goodbye, they expressed their gratitude and affection for everything he had done for them. Born in Gonnosfanadiga, he left his hometown to study and explore the world, crossing borders: Rome, Somalia, London, Syria, Yemen, and finally Spain, a country to which he was particularly attached.
With socialist ideas, "for the PSI," says his friend Enrico Trogu, director of the State Archives of Cagliari, "he handled legal matters and international contacts and briefly headed a section in Rome. A staunch Craxi supporter, he couldn't forgive Italy for its Tunisian exile and the Mani Pulite scandal. Anti-American, he championed the Palestinian cause and cultivated the idea of a peaceful Mediterranean, in harmony with the Arab world. He believed that Sardinia should be freer and more self-determined."
In an interview with Videolina (for the program "Fuori sede"), he dwelt on the fate of his island : "Sardinia as seen from outside? Depopulated, ruined by the globalized economy." Again, Enrico Trogu's memories: "During unforgettable nights in Barcellona, he loved to talk about Yourcenar and Marcus Aurelius, Russian writers, politics, history—a point of reference who, with secularism and kindness, welcomed any point of view, any confidence, always with the desire to care for others before himself."