Curzio Malaparte was born in Prato on the 9th of June 1898, at a house in via Magnolfi. At the age of thirteen he went to the prestigious Cicogni College. The testimonies and many of his autobiographical pages state that he was a fanciful and independent boy, of curious and vivacious intelligence. He joined the youth section of the Republican Party, and ran away from home to enlist in the legion of Peppino Garibaldi that defended France against the occupation of the Germans. In 1915, he re-enlisted as a volunteer in the war against Austria. After the World War, beside his literary activity, he also worked as a journalist. When he reached the age of thirty-one, Giovanni Agnelli wanted him to become the director of the journal "La Stampa". Amongst his literary works we should mention: "Italia barbara", "Tecnique du coup d'čtat", "Fughe in prigione", and "Maledetti Toscani". Curzio Malaparte is renowned for his literary fame, so we should instead, point out his involvement with the collaboration of the Pratese paper "Il Cittadino". The directors of "Il Cittadino" were Mario Bellandi and Anton Luigi Aiazzi. There are numerous letters that Curzio Malaparte sent to Mario Bellandi and other friends, in which he shows his enthusiasm for the journal. He always offered to write articles for it and to financially contribute to it. The majority of his letters ended saying: "…Ciao, dear Bellandi, I will send you an article for "Il Cittadino" as soon as I can, and remember I can also help the paper financially". In fact, one morning when Bellandi went to see Curzio Malaparte at the Grand Hotel in Florence, he was asked, by what financial means the newspaper survived. When Bellandi told him it was just with money from the sales and contributions from friends, Curzio handed him a cheque for 50.000 Lire. Curzio Malaparte died in Rome on the 19th of July 1957, following a long and painful illness. Though his state of health was very bad, he continued writing to his friend Bellandi, and was constantly asking about the newspaper, his friends his Prato. The last time Mario Bellandi saw him, was after his journey to China, when he was recovering in the "Sanatrix" clinic in Rome. He wanted Mario to sit next to his bed, and after asking about all the friends, he asked "Did you bring me a copy of "Il Cittadino?". He was handed the copy, together with a warm hello from his friends and his city.