Umberto Eco was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. He is best known for his popular 1980 novel The Name of the Rose, a historical mystery that combines semiotics in fiction with biblical analysis, medieval studies, and literary theory. Another of his notable works is Foucault's Pendulum, published in 1988, which touches on similar themes.

Eco wrote prolifically throughout his life, including children's books and translations from French and English. He contributed a twice-monthly newspaper column "La Bustina di Minerva" (Minerva's Matchbook) in the magazine L'Espresso, beginning in 1985, with his last column appearing on 27 January 2016. At the time of his passing, he was an Emeritus professor at the University of Bologna, where he taught for much of his life.

In the 21st century, Eco continued to gain recognition for his 1995 essay "Ur-Fascism," where he lists fourteen general properties he believes comprise fascist ideologies.