High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Alessandro (Sandro) Pertini (September 25, 1896 - February 24, 1990) was an Italian socialist, who was President of the Italian Republic from 1978 to 1985. Born in Stella (Province of Savona) as the son of a well to do landowner, Alberto, he studied at a Salesian college in Varazze, and completed his schooling at the "Chiabrera" lyceum (high school) in Savona. His philosophy teacher was Adelchi Baratono, a reformist socialist who contributed to his approach to Socialism and probably introduced him to the inner circles of the Ligurian labour movements. Pertini obtained a Law degree from the University of Genoa.