Italian writer Umberto Eco dies, age 84

February 20, 2016



,, philosopher, and novelist, died on yesterday night at the age of 84 at his home in , according to his family. He had cancer.

Eco was born in, northern Italy, on January 5, 1932 and attended , focusing on Medieval philosophy and literature. In 1956–1964 he worked closely with the Italian television station. In 1975 Eco became a semiotics professor.

Though an essayist, he is best known for his first novel, published in 1980 and later made into a motion picture directed by , starring. After the successful debut he wrote more novels, the most recent,, published in 2015.

Eco's wife and two children survive him.